A callus is a skin area that is thick and becomes dry and hard because of pressure, repeated friction and irritation. Calluses are usually found on feet due to frequent walking. In general, calluses are not harmful, yet they may lead to other skin problems, such as infection and ulceration.

It is possible to remove calluses naturally. It is simple to do. Read on this article on VKool site to know how to remove calluses from feet and fingers naturally.

How To Remove Calluses From Feet & Fingers

I. An Overview Of Calluses

1. What Is A Callus?

As I mentioned above, a callus or tyloma is a skin area thickening after the exposure to repetitive pressure and forces. Calluses develop to protect skin from damage and injury. Calluses may not cause pain. When they are painful, some treatments are required. Nevertheless, those who suffer from poor blood circulation, loss of sensation and diabetes should apply professional skin care and treatments even there is no related pain.

When a callus creates a mass of dead skin cells this is a corn. Corns usually occur on toes and balls of feet. Calluses generally occur on hands, feet and any other part of skin where the friction and pressure is present.

Read on: How to stop ingrown toenails from hurting and coming back

2. Callus Causes

Before discovering how to remove calluses from feet and fingers naturally, take a look at causes of a callus. There are different reasons causing a callus. They may be factors outside your body or within your body.

a. Factors outside the body

• Ill-fitting socks or shoes
• Socks with seams by toes or bunching of socks
• Manual labor
• Activities that increase irritation, forces or stress applied to skin of feet and hands, like athletic events
• Not wearing shoes

b. Factors within the body

• Structural deformities or bony prominences, like hammertoes and bunions
• Faulty foot function like oversupination or overpronation
• Porokeratosis or damaged sweat glands, scars andwarts

c. Other factors

Calluses may be caused by constant pressure and friction applied to hands and feet. The pressure and friction can have different causes, such as:

• Walking barefoot
• Improper footwear (too small, narrow-toed, high heels or tight fitting)
• Improper socks
• Bunions
• Flat feet (the arch is low, the foot is unstable)
• Athletic activities
• High-arched feet
• Abnormal gait
• Obesity
• Worn-down pads on soles of the feet
• Bony bumps
• Long metatarsal bones, which are close to the ground and cause more friction and pressure than normal size metatarsal bones

Also see: How to get rid of dry skin & redness on face & body fast

3. Symptoms Of Calluses

If you doubt a callus is forming, look for the following symptoms of calluses:

• Thickening of your skin
• Discoloration of your thickened skin (red, yellow-gray or brown)
• Throb or burn

You should know that calluses may be not bothersome or painful, but proper treatment can prevent your callus from being infected. If your foot calluses become worse, some symptoms may have, including:

• Tenderness around the effected area
• Pain
• Fluid or pus draining from a callus
• Fever
• Swelling
• Cracks (or fissures)
• Skin texture varies from waxy, dry to a horny mass
• Distinct borders

Read: List of 9 natural oils for skin care

4. When To See A Doctor

In case, a callus is painless, yet unattractive, it isn’t necessary to visit a doctor. Nevertheless, visiting a podiatrist for a callus is not a bad advice. The podiatrist can help you know exactly your condition and prevent a callus from forming. Then, if you suffer from it, you will know how to remove calluses naturally at home.

Many people did not ask any doctor and they just tried to remove calluses by themselves with a razor blade or a knife. As a result, this led to further skin damage. Commonly, this is skin infections. Especially, if you suffer from diabetes, you’d better care for your hands and feet. Talk to the doctor about strange signs on your food and hand skin. If untreated, though you’re a diabetic or not, this can lead to food ulcers and severe skin infections.

5. Diagnose Calluses

Calluses, also called keratomas or tylomas, are protective layers of dead compacted skin cells or skin patches that thicken, particularly in the bony areas, for protecting the skin from injury and damage. When a callus starts forming, it does not give you pain. Constant pressure and friction on a part of your hand or foot can cause a callus. For instance, those who has played guitar for a long time often has calluses on their fingers. The 2^nd metatarsal bones in feet bear most of the body weight, so calluses also form under the 2^nd metatarsal in this case. Still, it is common for this to occur to other metatarsals, with more calluses to form and develop at a time.

A foot or hand callus can be embarrassing and ugly for some, but it is necessary to remember that the development of calluses is part of body’s defense system. Calluses may be elongated or oval, and brown or gray in color. They may be elevated, or have smooth surfaces. Unfortunately, some are prone to foot calluses as their feet have less cushioning tissue between their foot bones and foot skin. In untreated, calluses can lead to severe problems, like nucleated skin lesions. When calluses appear deep-seated cores, this condition is considered as porokeratomas. These painful lesions form under the skin and make it hard to stand, walk, or wear shoes. This is particularly a painful problem for those who suffer from diabetes.

Calluses can generally be diagnosed with a physical examination. In serious cases, X-ray examinations can be carried out to help doctors find abnormalities in the foot structure of the patients that may cause the problem. Questions are asked about the patients’ medical history, daily activities and symptoms. The doctors also want to check out the patients’ shoes to know whether they fit properly or not.

Diagnosis is usually made by checking a corn or a callus. A biopsy with the microscopic evaluation can be carried out. Besides, the doctors can take X-rays of the patients’ hands and feet to find out underlying bony structures, which may be causes of calluses and corns. Additionally, the doctors may see the way the patients walk and examine their shoes.

Read more: Top 7 vitamins for skin health – must know skin care tips

II. Treatment For Calluses

Calluses can be cured. Keep reading to find out how to remove calluses from feet and fingers naturally.

Curing a callus means removing it. You however should not try to treat or remove or a foot callus by yourself. Instead, see a podiatrist or a doctor to have it treated and learn how to prevent a callus from forming, returning and worsening. The doctor can base a treatment on cause of a callus. There are different non-surgical ways to cure calluses, including:

• Placing non-medicated pads around calluses to relieve pressure and irritation
• Orthotics (with shock-absorbing materials) to redistribute pressure and friction on the effected areas
• Pads made of salicylic acid to dissolve thickened skin
• Practicing proper foot hygiene
• Regularly changing footwear
• Walking barefoot when possible at home
• Soaking the feet in warm water
• Filing a callus down with the pumice stone for smooth thickened skin
• Moleskin

Read on: 24 ways to remove dead skin cells from face & body naturally at home

Moleskin is a material that is sold in patches or strips to put on the feet before wearing shoes known as a factor causing calluses. You however, should be aware that pads and patches can lead to uneven pressure on the feet that may ultimately cause more callus formation. Soak the feet in one of the following solutions for calluses: the mixture of water and Epsom salts, essential oils, green tea water or moisturizers. These home remedies may be sufficient to soften hard, and dead skin. Also, consult with a doctor about using home remedies or solution you are unfamiliar with. The doctor will show you the right way to use safe and effective products for callus treatments.

For instance, you can use lemon juice to soften your callus while protecting the skin from infections. But, how to make use of lemon juice? In the proper way, you can mix aspirin with lemon juice and apply this mixture on the affected area.

All home remedies you want to try should be discussed with the doctor to make sure that they are safe for you. If your calluses are hard to be healed, surgery may be needed to remove them more effectively. The doctor will suggest you to use a suitable surgical method to treat your calluses based on circumstances of your individual condition. Calluses generally shouldn’t take over a few weeks to gone.

Now, keep reading how to remove calluses with more tips, advice and home remedies below!

1. When To Seek Medical Care

If home remedies could not help you to remove your calluses, consult a doctor. Especially, if you suffer from diabetes, have loss of sensation or have poor circulation, seek the medical attention earlier due to a high risk for skin infection.

Normally, calluses don’t require any emergency attention. However, you need to visit doctors or go to the hospital with the following conditions:

• Any drainage around the callus sore
• Spreading redness from the sore
• Increasing swelling, streaking or pain
• Fever
• Signs of tissue decay (gangrene)
• Change in color of the affected area

2. Self Care At Home

Next to tips on how to remove calluses from feet and fingers naturally, practice daily self care at home.

Here are some self-care tips that you can apply to treat your calluses at home:

• Place protective pads over the callus sore to reduce friction and pressure on skin
• Rub pumice stone or sandpaper disks over the hard thickened skin areas
• Avoid stress and pressure to your feet and hands by changing socks, shoes and using gloves
• Avoid wearing flip flop sandals and going barefoot
• Apply moisturizers to dry your corns and calluses

Search: How to choose sunscreen for dry, oily and sensitive skin

In concrete, you can follow the following instructions:

a. Soaking

– Soak the feet in green tea or chamomile tea to soften your hardened skin for 30 minutes. If your skin is stained by the tea, don’t worry as you can remove tea stains later with water and soap.

– Add 2 to 3 tbsps of baking soda to lukewarm water, then soak the affected skin area. This can help dissolve your dead skin and start the process of healing. Soak for about 30 minutes.

– Soak a slice of bread in apple cider vinegar for 10 hours to have a paste. Then, put this paste on your calluses and secure with bandage. Next, wrap in the plastic sack and let it sit there overnight. Finally, remove the sack in the morning.

– Soak your calluses in the mixture of lukewarm water and Epsom salt. This solution helps soften the affected area, and the salt helps scrub the calluses away.

Read on: How to get clear skin fast & naturally in a week

b. Scrubbing

Next to ways on how to remove calluses, practice skin hygiene by scrubbing your feet and hands daily. Here are 2 tips to scrub calluses away:

– Use a pumice stone, or a foot or finger file to rub your calluses away. Use these tools after soaking the feet or after a normal shower when the affected areas have been softened by warm water. Also, rub the feet with circular motions. For heavy layers of calluses, rinse the feet by dipping into the water. Rinse a pumice stone to remove your dead skin. Repeat it until your skin turns soft and for the best results.

– Another way to scrub unsightly calluses is to take barefoot walk on a wet and sandy beach.

Read on: Body scrub recipes: 13 natural homemade recipes for any skin type

c. Drying

Dry the affected area completely can help heal it fast. Use a soft and clean towel to remove extra moisture on skin.

To dry skin naturally, simply sprinkle a little bit of cornstarch on the affected area. This is to make sure that your skin can stay dry and also aid in warding off skin infections.

Read on: Simple homemade body wash recipes for dry skin

Alternative, you can apply the following natural ways on how to remove calluses:

• Mix a tsp of lemon juice with 1 tsp of dried chamomile and 1 clove of mashed garlic. Apply this mixture on the affected area once or twice a day.
• Use 1 slice of onion, sprinkled with some salt and lemon juice. Next, tape this mixture to the affected area. Leave it on overnight. Repeat this solution daily for at least week to eliminate your calluses easily.
• Cut 3 raisins in half, then put them on your calluses, secure with a plaster, leave it on overnight. Repeat this remedy daily until your calluses disappears or reduces.
• Crush 4 aspirin pills, add 1/4 teaspoon of water and 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to have a thick paste. Next, apply the solution to your calluses and cover with a wet towel or plastic wrap. Leave it on for 30 minutes. After then, rinse with warm water, gently rub the affected area with a pumice stone.

Repeat this solution daily for soft, healthy and without callus skin.

3. Medical Treatment

Among simple yet effective ways on how to remove calluses from feet and fingers naturally, consider medical treatment.

• Cut off or periodic shaving the hardened areas on skin by surgical tools with medicines, which can break up the hardened areas of skin by 40% urea, keratolyticagents
• Accommodate the pressure areas with custom orthotics (shoe inserts)
• Use antibioticswith possible drainage and incision for infected corn and callus
• Remove the skin parts of protruding bone where calluses and corns form or correct the underlying deformity

Also read: Best natural moisturizers for dry skin you must know!

III. Home Remedies For Calluses 

Beside tips and medicines, you can learn how to remove calluses with the following home remedies:

1. Baking Soda

One of the most effective ways to treat calluses and corns is to apply a warm-water soak. This can help loosen the dead skin cells and aid in healing. To make use of this treatment, add 3 tbsps of baking soda to warm water and then soak. You can also massage the affected area with a paste of 1 part of water and 3 parts of baking soda.

Also read: Making sugar & sea salt scrub recipes – 19 recipes for clear skin

2. Chamomile Tea

Beside baking soda, you can soak the feet in chamomile tea for soothing and temporarily change pH of your skin to dry out your sweaty feet or hands. This herbal tea may stain your skin, but its stain can be removed easily with water and soap.

3. Cornstarch

Next to natural ways on how to remove calluses, try sprinkling cornstarch between the fingers and toes for keeping the affected area dry, also protect your skin from breaking down. Additionally, moisture can make calluses and corns feel miserable and promote fungal infections. So, be ware of drying your skin to get rid of fungal infections.

Also read: 32 natural stretch mark treatment tips at home

4. White Vinegar

Simply, soak a clean cotton ball in the white vinegar , then tape it to the affected area. Leave it on overnight. In the next morning, rub this area with warm water and a pumice stone.

5. Pumice Stone & Powder

Pumice stones and powder are used for scouring kitchen tools like spots and pans . Besides, they are very useful for removing dead skin away. After soaking the affected area in warm water for 20 minutes, use a clean pumice stone for rubbing away those calluses and corns on your skin.

6. Ice

Next to ways on how to remove calluses from feet and fingers naturally, try applying ice. Hard corns and calluses can be painful. If you suffer from hard-core corn and calluses, you can try ice pack. Apply this to the affected area for 5 minutes. This can help reduce swelling as well as ease your pain and irritation a bit.

IV. How To Prevent Calluses

Beside treating calluses, you also need to know ways to prevent the formation of new calluses and corns.

• Keep your skin dry and clean for warding off calluses
• Wear new comfortable shoes and socks that properly fit you
• Wear shoes that breathe and they are made from natural materials, like leather that allows air flow to the feet than those made from all synthetic materials

• If you suffer from a foot deformity, meet a doctor or a podiatrist
•  Wear arch or padding supports to redistribute pressure and irritation when moving, standing or walking
• Maintain your daily proper foot hygiene.
• Avoid removing a callus on your own yourself
• Feel free to ask the doctor some questions about your calluses related to temperature of bath water, how to use over-the-counter products, different non-surgical treatments and surgical treatment, home remedies for calluses and so on.

Bottom line: 

A callus is not a serious skin problem, so you are able to control and heal it fast. Just follow the tips and instructions above to improve your condition soon. For any feedback about the article on how to remove calluses from feet and fingers naturally, leave your comment at the end of the post!

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