Corns and hard skin

A corn is pressure that has nowhere to go. Taking it out gives immediate relief — but if nothing changes the pressure, it comes back, and that is the part most people are never told.

The relief part

Corns and callus are pared away with a sterile blade. It does not hurt — the tissue has no nerve supply — and walking usually feels better before I have left.

The part that stops it returning

Something is pressing. A toe shape, a shoe, the way you load the foot. Sorting the pressure is what buys you months instead of weeks — sometimes it is as simple as a different shoe, sometimes padding or an insole.

Please do not use corn pads

Medicated corn pads are acid. On thin or poorly circulated skin they can burn a hole rather than remove a corn. If you have diabetes, do not use them at all.

Common questions

Why does my corn keep coming back?
Because the pressure causing it is still there. Removing the corn treats the symptom; changing the pressure treats the cause.
Is it painful to have them removed?
No. The hard tissue has no feeling in it. The pressure underneath is what has been hurting.