Our Philadelphia foot doctors often treat patients who are unsure about what is causing their discomfort. For instance, people often think they don’t have a corn because the place that’s irritated isn’t on the side of their foot. 

The truth is that corns can appear anywhere on the foot. Although they are commonly found on the outside ridge of the foot on or near the pinky toe, they can pop up on the soles of the feet, on top of the toes, and even between the toes.

Often, patients do not recognize corns that appear between the toes, as these are usually softer, lighter in color, and less compact than the usual hard corns that people are more accustomed to seeing. These are often called soft corns, and they occur when bones in the toes are malformed and cause friction between the toes. Moisture and perspiration between the toes soften the corn, which can look like flaking skin, a callus, or an open, cracked sore.

If you choose to treat your corn at home, keep the following information in mind:

  • If you try to remove the toughened skin on your corn with a pumice stone, be careful not to take off too much skin. The corn is already inflamed and could easily become infected.
  • Many over-the-counter corn pads contain a chemical that “eats away” at the corn, such as salicylic acid. If these are used frequently, the pads can erode the corn too quickly and cause the skin to break.
  • People with diabetes should have their corns treated by a doctor. In a study of patients with diabetes who had foot sores, those whose calluses and corns were pared by a doctor had fewer hospital visits, fewer foot surgeries, and fewer foot problems overall.
     

To schedule a consultation with one of our Pennsylvania foot specialists, call 610-565-3668 for an appointment in Media or 610-933-8644 to visit our Phoenixville office. 

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