A lot depends on the choice of shoes. First of all, the health of our legs. Wearing uncomfortable and cramped shoes and shoes leads to corns and corns. At first glance, this does not seem to be a serious problem. However, if you don’t change your shoes in time, the corns will be difficult to remove. These seemingly harmless formations can lead not only to infection of the lower extremities, but also to deformation of the feet. There are several varieties of corns. Therefore, before proceeding with their treatment, it is worth determining the type of education. Each type of corns requires special therapy.
One of the drugs that is used for this problem is the Salipod patch. It has been used for many years. The patch not only softens corns, but also has an antimicrobial property. It is used both at home and before cosmetic procedures.
Causes of corns
Most often, people come across grated calluses. The reason for their appearance is the wrong choice of shoes. This problem affects women to a greater extent. Representatives of the weaker sex are often fond of beautiful, but not very comfortable shoes. Grated callus appears when wearing tight shoes and ballet shoes. This does not mean that such shoes should not be worn. However, you should give preference to quality materials. Shoes with the right pad of soft leather will not damage the skin of the legs. Hard materials contribute to the appearance of corns. In addition, it is worth choosing shoes, paying attention to size. It should be suitable not only in length but also in width. Narrow and tight shoes put pressure on the skin of the legs, which contributes to the appearance of corns and deformation of the foot.
Other causes of pathology include excessive sweating of the legs, improper gait, and obesity. Excess weight leads to increased load on the lower limbs. This is the cause of flat feet and the formation of irregular gait. Due to the increase in the transverse size of the feet, corns appear on the lateral surfaces of the fingers. In addition, damage to the skin of the feet occurs due to friction on the seams of hosiery. Therefore, with the appearance of corns, it is worth paying attention to the choice of socks and tights. They should correspond to the size of the foot and have soft, not very pronounced seams.
Another group of causes of corns is skin diseases. Constant dry feet and excessive keratinization of the epidermis lead to corns. Skin diseases of a similar spectrum include: psoriasis, a lack of vitamin A, vascular pathologies and diabetes.
Different types of corns on the legs
There are several classifications of corns. They are based on the localization of the process and the consistency of pathological education. Before deciding how to remove corns, it is worth determining their type. Some of them require medical treatment, others can be removed using improvised means.
The following types of corns on the legs are distinguished:
- Dry.
- Water.
- Rod.
Dry callus is a hard formation on the skin of the foot. It occurs in places that are constantly in contact with the surface of the shoe. Often, such formations are found on the soles. They represent areas of a compacted keratinized epidermis.
Water bubbles on the skin of the legs are also called soft calluses. Compared to hard growths, they are more painful and dangerous. Many were faced with the fact that the corn burst on the leg. This means that the top layer of the skin has been damaged and there is a high probability of developing an infection. Water corns are characterized by the accumulation of fluid under the epidermis, which appears as a result of excessive pressure. If you do not release your foot from tight shoes in time, inflammation occurs. In this case, the accumulated exudate becomes not transparent, but cloudy.
A separate variety is corn on the leg with the shaft. Nevertheless, it can be attributed to solid formations. Such a seal appears due to the lack of treatment for dry corns. Under the keratinized skin area, a solid shaft is formed, which cuts into the underlying tissues and provokes the occurrence of pronounced pain during walking.
Differential diagnosis of corns and corns
Some types of corns on the legs (dry, pivotal) can be confused with corns. These formations are slightly different. In their structure, corns are similar to dry corns. Often they are formed on the plantar surface of the foot, on the area of the skin between the toes. The corns are represented by a coarse epidermis. Similar formations appear in people with dry skin type. A provoking factor in their occurrence is frequent walking and wearing stiff shoes.
The main difference between corns from dry corns is their location. These coarsened areas of the skin are only on the sole. Moreover, their boundaries are blurred, in contrast to the contours of the corn. The corns are rarely accompanied by pain when walking. However, if you do not pay attention to them, such formations can transform into barns.
Another classification of the disease is based on the localization of the pathological focus. According to it, various types of calluses are distinguished: on the feet, on the feet, on the toes, on the heel, etc. The plantar masses (corns) are patches of rough yellowish epidermis. They slightly rise above the surface of the surrounding skin. Sometimes this is noticeable only with palpation of the plantar side of the foot. Corns lead to rapid fatigue when walking.
The following types of corns on the toes are distinguished: soft (water), dry, bone formations and bunion. The first 2 types of formations are already known. Bone calluses are less common. They are formed due to fractures and damage to the phalanges of the toes. Improper fusion of bone structures leads to increased formation of connective tissue. If you do not fix the foot, there is a constant trauma to the new epithelium. This, in turn, provokes the formation of even more connective tissue. Excess epithelium quickly turns into cartilaginous, and then - into the bone structure. Such corns can form not only on the toes, but also on other parts of the foot. In particular, on the back surface of the calcaneus (in the place of skin rubbing against shoes). A separate type of finger callus is bunion. This formation occurs when the diameter of the foot is compressed (wearing narrow shoes). Bunion is located on the joint of the big toe. Most often, the corn has a soft consistency.
Another pathological formation on the legs is a heel spur. It has a bone structure. The spur is located on the plantar surface of the heel. Such an education always delivers pronounced pain when walking. In some cases, surgical intervention is required to remove the spur.
Methods for treating corns
Different types of corns on the legs require an individual approach to treatment. There are several methods for removing such formations. In most cases, in order to get rid of corns, it is enough to go to an experienced pedicure master and follow his advice. To a greater extent this applies to solid dry formations. When water calluses appear, a special approach is required, because they can lead to infection. Bone and cartilage structures cannot be removed on their own.
The following methods of treating calluses are distinguished:
- Warm baths with herbs.
- Antimicrobial agents (plasters, ointments).
- Removing rough skin with a pumice or razor.
- Surgical treatment.
- Laser Therapy
- Cryodestruction.
In some cases, combination therapy is required to remove corns. Untimely appeal to a specialist leads to the attachment of a fungal and bacterial infection, as well as to the ossification of a pathological formation. How to treat corns on your feet, tell an experienced pedicurist or orthopedist. In his absence, you should consult a surgeon.
Removing corns at home
If the case is not running, then you can remove the corn at home. For this, warm foot baths are used. For the best effect, various herbs are added to the water. First of all, corn should be steamed well. How to get rid of at home, the doctor or the pedicure master will tell you. So that coarsened skin softens faster and infection does not occur, add a decoction of chamomile, calendula or tea tree to the water. These herbs have antiseptic and soothing effects on the skin. After the coarsened area becomes soft, you should well rub it with a pumice stone. You can also use a razor for this purpose, but this can lead to deep damage to the epithelium and injury. After the procedure, you should lubricate the feet with a fat cream or moisturizing oils. To fix the effect put on socks. This will help maintain a warm environment. Such procedures should be carried out repeatedly so that dry corns completely disappear.
In addition to warm baths, home remedies such as aloe, onions, lemon, vinegar, potatoes, etc. are used to remove coarsened skin areas. These products help soften corn faster. For the best effect, they are used in the form of compresses at night. Aloe or lemon should be cut off and the slice fixed to the rough skin with a patch. Gruel of onion or potato is placed on the corn and bandaged the foot with a bandage. In the same way, a compress is made from the pulp of bread moistened with vinegar. A cellophane film is applied over the gauze and a warm sock is worn. Such compresses are left overnight, and in the morning it is recommended to make a warm foot bath using pumice.
Getting rid of corns with medication
To remove chronic dry calluses, and even more so corns, the use of drugs is required. In most cases, a patch with a keratolytic property is used. A similar effect is exerted by the Salipod preparation. The patch not only helps to soften rough skin, but also to avoid infection. The active substance of this drug is salicylic acid. Use the salipod patch from the corns. Outwardly, they can resemble a hat from a nail or have a recess in the center.
In addition to the core formations of drug therapy, water corns are required. They are reminiscent of a blister, inside of which a fluid accumulates - lymph. The color of water calluses is most often transparent or whitish. With deep skin damage, blood can enter the lymph. Increased pain in the blister indicates infection. If the soft callus has not burst on its own, it can be pierced with a needle. Pre-disinfect the tool so as not to bring the bacterial flora. How to treat corns on the legs, it is better to learn from a specialist. In such cases, the use of keratolytic drugs is contraindicated. To make water callus heal faster, antibiotics are used. When infected, medications of choice include drugs such as erythromycin and tetracycline ointment. When the inflammatory process subsides, healing agents are prescribed. An example is Levomekol ointment.
The drug "Salipod": instructions for use
The Salipod patch is considered a proven remedy for the treatment of corns. He established himself as an effective drug for more than 50 years ago. The composition of the medication includes salicylic acid, sulfur, rubber, lanolin and rosin. The drug has two important effects: it destroys the coarsened layers of the skin and disinfects the surrounding tissue. The Salipod medical device, the instructions for use of which is enclosed in each package, is used as follows:
- Before using the drug, you should steam the corn.
- Stick the patch on the coarsened area. In this case, you can not get on healthy skin.
- After 1-2 days, carefully peel off the patch.
The drug "Salipod" from calluses should be used several times. If the process is not started, then a solid formation (root) will gradually break through the softened skin. After that, it can be carefully removed.
Alternative methods of treatment
It is worth remembering that alternative therapy is used only for shallow barns. To remove the root of the pathological formation, the skin should be steamed heavily and treated with pumice. Then the foot should be smeared with a moisturizer. After the traditional foot bath, you need to take an ordinary adhesive plaster and cut a small hole in it. It is necessary so that the kernel of the corn is open. The patch must be glued to a fully dried foot so that moisture does not accumulate under it. It must be firmly pressed to the skin, otherwise a healthy epithelium can be damaged. After sticking the adhesive tape, a few drops of acetic acid are dripped into the hole with the rod. In order for the corn root to completely disappear, the procedure is repeated 3-4 times. A similar method is used carefully, since the probability of burning healthy skin is high.
Surgical callus removal
In some cases, fairly deep ossified calluses appear. They not only bring severe pain, but also damage healthy tissues. These formations include corn on the heel. What if I can’t remove the rod myself? In such cases, you should consult a doctor. Unfortunately, deep calluses and heel spurs can only be removed surgically. Alternative treatments are laser therapy and cryodestruction. In the first case, a strong luminous flux acts on the corn. Cryodestruction is the removal of a corn kernel using liquid nitrogen, which freezes a pathological area.
The traditional surgical method consists in the operative removal of the ossified area. The root is gradually drilled from the heel using a special apparatus. Such treatment requires rehabilitation.
How to prevent the appearance of corns
Preventive measures include wearing comfortable shoes. It should not constrain the leg or, conversely, hang out on the foot. So that the feet do not sweat, it is necessary to choose socks made of natural materials. In summer, it is recommended to wear well-ventilated shoes. In addition to the prevention of calluses includes foot hygiene and the use of moisturizers.