Dealing With Calluses

The season of sandals and flip-flops is almost upon us. It’s also the time that we looked at treating those callused feet.

What are calluses?

They are hard bits of skin that form on the heels and balls of the feet. In reality, they actually are there for a good reason. Calluses help protect skin against repeated friction. If you didn’t have calluses, those nice boots or high heels would probably just wear your skin clean away. However, we can all agree that the sight of calluses might not be too pleasing. If you are a regular sandal wearer, or if you do not want to clear the dead skin off of your mattress every time you go to bed, here are some ways on how to deal with calluses:

File it away.

One of the best ways to remove hard skin is by simply filing it off with a foot file or a pumice stone. It would give a bit of a tickling sensation, so you can try doing this when the skin is still soft (after a bath) or when the skin is dry (before a bath). If you find your skin to be particularly tough, you can try applying some callus and corn-softening gels available in local pharmacies. Apply these to the skin, leave them for a few days, and then use the file or pumice stone.

Moisturize your feet.

When you remove dry skin, it is a must to file your feet regularly to keep calluses at bay. You also have to include moisturizing your feet in your foot care regimen. Moisturizing it daily softens your skin. Petroleum Jelly is actually enough to make your skin soft. The best time to do this is at night before going to bed since moisturizers tend to be absorbed better if the skin is warm.

Consider your choices of footwear.

If you suffer from calluses regularly, you have to look at the type of footwear you are wearing. One of the main causes of calluses is ill-fitting shoes. It is important that your shoes fit and vary what you wear from day-to-day so that your skin isn’t always rubbed in the same place.

See a podiatrist.

You might be surprised to know that some people actually use a razor blade, cheese grater or penknife to get rid of calluses. NEVER DO THAT. If your calluses are too tough for you to remove using a file or stone, it’s high time to see a professional podiatrist. Setup an appointment with Sheldon H. Nadal, D.P.M.