Skin is like a garment that provides protection against the external environment. Continuous contact with the external environment makes the skin more prone to diseases. Hands and feet are exposed to pressure, friction and pressure during the day. The skin forms layers in the skin to protect itself from this. Dead tissues called calluses should be treated as they may cause serious problems in the future, even if they do not show significant symptoms at the beginning.
What is Callus? How It Occurs?
Calluses is an important skin disease seen in people of all ages, from prehistoric times to the present day. Calluses, which initially have an aesthetically bad appearance, can become painful and painful if left untreated. Irritation increases in areas where friction and pressure are continuous. The skin thickens and hardens to protect itself. Slightly bumpy dead skin layers called calluses (clavus) occur.
What are the types of calluses?
There are 3 types of calluses: hard, soft and seed calluses.
Hard Calluses: It is a type of callus, which has a deep root, especially in the sole of the foot, causing pain and soreness, inflammation in the surrounding tissues, and a thick layer of dead skin. Soft Callus: 1-4 cm in size, red, sensitive; It is a type of callus that can feel milder pain and pain than hard calluses. It is usually caused by the toes rubbing against each other or standing for a long time. Since it has less layers of dead skin than hard calluses, it can be easily treated at home with callus bands and pumice stone. Seed Callus: It is usually seen on the sides and back of the ball. Dead skin layer can be easily removed. Pain and pain are not felt unless pressure is applied on it.
In Which Areas Are Calluses Most Common?
Although corns are most common under the feet, they can be seen on the sides of the feet, on the heel, on the toes and between the toes. Calluses, which are usually seen on the feet, can also be observed on the fingers and palms, which are exposed to excessive friction and pressure, and between the fingers.
What are the Symptoms of Calluses?
The most common callus symptoms are:
- Skin exfoliation
- A hardened mass
- Tenderness, pain and pain felt under the callus
- A cone shape formed in the middle of the callus
- Inflammation around the area in advanced calluses
Is Callus Contagious?
No. Calluses are completely formed on the skin surface by pressure or friction. Since it is not caused by any virus or bacteria, it is not contagious.Calls Causes?
- Standing for a long time
- Extreme exercise and sports use of tools
- Preference for loose or tight shoes that are not suitable for the feet
- High-heeled shoes
- Occupational deformations (construction worker, driver, carpenter, boxer)
- Prolonged rubbing of accessories or clothing on the skin
- Wrong way of walking
- Obesity
- Advanced patient age
- Excessive sweating of the feet
- Continuous handwork
- Not giving correct and continuous positioning to patients who have been lying for a long time
- Licking lips frequently
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Pressure of the toes on each other
- Sports such as surfing, weightlifting, rowing that expose the hands to constant friction
- Trauma to the fingertips of people who play the guitar and violin
- Exposing the knees to pressure for a long time while praying
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- The areas exposed to constant contact should be moistened regularly so that the skin does not dry out. .
- Cotton socks that do not make the feet sweaty should be preferred. If possible, socks should be changed during the day. The feet should not be left damp.
- Special soles and silicone supports should be used inside the shoes.
- Wrong shoe selection is one of the most important reasons for the formation of calluses. Comfortable, orthopedic shoes that are suitable for your foot pattern, not tight or excessively loose, should be preferred. Shoes with higher than 6 cm should be avoided. Massage should be done with oils that contain vitamin E, such as almond oil, that nourish the skin and help it repair. Hand masks suitable for your skin type should be applied.
- A, E vita It prevents the formation of calluses. In your diet, especially vegetables and fruits such as bananas and carrots containing these vitamins should be frequently included.
Calls Treatment
Callus is a curable skin disease. Calluses can occur in various parts of the body. Heel calluses, foot calluses, calluses on the soles of the feet, calluses between the fingers and toes, and calluses on the fingers can be treated with simple methods that can be applied at home, especially at the initial stage.
Use of pumice stone: One of the simplest and most effective methods, pumice stone is hard indented. It is a corrugated rectangular stone with a protruding structure. It is especially recommended to be used in the bath or after the bath. Hard calluses that soften from the bath can be easily filed with a pumice stone. The discomfort and pain caused by the callus disappears with the removal of the dead skin. With regular use of pumice, calluses are largely treated.
Calls bands: Callus bands, which you can buy from the pharmacy, are one of the effective methods in the treatment of calluses. These products, which contain salicylic acid or trichloroacetic acid, provide a chemical breakdown on the dead skin and help the calluses disappear. Do not forget that when you encounter a symptom such as allergy or redness that may occur due to misuse during or after the application, you should stop using the product and seek help from a specialist physician immediately.
Calls treatment with white vinegar and lemon: Like white vinegar and lemon, it contains plenty of acid. These acids, which can be obtained from natural foods, allow the callus to be broken down by chemical reaction. The callused area is rubbed thoroughly with lemon or white vinegar. The callused area is bandaged and kept until the next morning. Care should be taken that the bandage is not too tight and that the foot can breathe. After the bandage is opened, you can observe that the dead skin is exfoliated. You can apply white vinegar and lemon until the callus is completely gone. Forget about massaging with olive oil, coconut oil or almond oil to nourish and moisturize the skin after each application.
What Is Good for Callus Pain?
Aspirin treatment can be applied for callus pain. Aspirin both softens the hardened tissue and helps reduce pain. 5-6 aspirins are crushed into powder. Make a paste with half a teaspoon of lemon juice. The callused area is rubbed with paste and kept covered with a hot towel for 10-15 minutes. After the application, the dead skin that softens with the pumice stone is rasped and destroyed.
How does the callus heal?
If your callus still does not go away after home remedies or if you have an inflamed callus, you should consult a dermatologist. A physical examination is performed in the clinic by a specialist physician. After the visual and manual examination, the right treatment is planned according to the size and type of the callus and the patient's complaints. In the treatment of calluses, there are alternative treatment options as well as drug or surgical methods. Callus medicine: Drug treatment is suitable for calluses that do not have deep roots. Drug callus treatment is carried out under the control of a physician. Even if the callus is destroyed with the wrong medicine, it can cause irritation to the living tissue around it. Freezing the callus: In this method, which is applied by taking advantage of the freezing feature of nitrogen gas at -197 degrees, you can get rid of calluses in a short time like 5 minutes. Nitrogen gas disrupts the membrane structure of the dead skin and causes the callus root to emerge. The callus root is completely scraped off by the physician with the help of a scalpel. No pain or pain is felt during or after the application. It is recommended not to put pressure on the callused area for about 1-2 hours. Afterwards, you can return to your daily life. Burning the callus with cautery: It is one of the most preferred treatment methods in cautery, like ice cream treatment. A slight burning sensation may be felt during the burning process. After the burning process, the callus root is cleaned with the help of a scalpel and the intervention is completed. Radio frequency therapy: It is one of the most popular callus treatment applied in recent years. Calluses and callus root can be completely cleaned in 5 minutes with heat and electrical energy without the need for a suture bandage. Callus surgery: The most effective and well-known method used to completely clean the callus root is surgical intervention. Many calluses can be removed by the physician with a scalpel without the need for anesthesia. knows. For deep rooted calluses, surgical procedure can be performed by applying local anesthesia to the callus area. As a result of the intervention, mild pain and soreness may occur in the callus area.
Beware of These!
- Never try to scrape your callus with sharps other than the methods specified here. .
- If you have diabetes, before you self-medicate
- If the medicine you use or the methods you use do not work,
- If your callus has become inflamed and unbearably painful, consult a specialist. Consult your doctor.
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