Corns

Anyone who has ever had a corn knows that they can make your life miserable.

What are they? Corns are basically an area of thickened skin. They often appear on joints, such as on your little toe, but can be present on the base of your foot or between toes. There are may types of corns and they can be hard or soft, big or small. The pain comes from the pressure of your shoes against the corn, which in turn presses against a nerve. That is why removing your shoes can give instant relief.

What causes them? Constant friction on a particular part of your foot can encourage the development of corns. Shoes that don’t fit are the biggest culprit.

What is the treatment? Each corn has its own challenges, but the usual treatment is to first of all pare down the hard skin. The centre of the corn can then be reduced using a special piece of equipment.

Can I self-treat? Keep the skin soft by moisturising feet regularly and ditching those tight shoes, however much you like them.  Avoid corn plasters where possible as these contain acids that can harm the healthy skin without treating the actual problem: the corn. You can buy pads with a hole in the middle that don’t contain acid and these can relieve some of the pressure. Check that label!

Picture: Md Zahid Hasan Joy