How to Safely Remove a Foot Corn at Home

Corns on your feet can be painful. They affect your movement and activity whether they are on the top of your feet, between the toes, or on the pads of the feet as they rub painfully inside the shoe. Having these corns removed or removing them yourself at home using natural remedies is the best way to seek relief. Schedule an appointment with an experienced and board-certified podiatrist to have your corn examined and learn about effective and safe ways to remove it. The expert foot and ankle doctors at the Century Medical and Dental Center discover the reasons behind your corns and calluses and recommend the best ways to treat the corns effectively.

Corns are hard bumps that develop on the skin, usually on the feet due to friction and pressure. In mild cases, simple bathing and scraping can help soft corns and remove the excess layer of skin. Preventing corn formation is the best way to avoid the pressure that comes with them.

Friction from uncomfortable or hard shoes can cause the skin in the area to harden over time. The outer skin hardens to protect the delicate tissue underneath. People who wear poorly fitting shoes develop corns more frequently. Corns are not dangerous, although they become very uncomfortable and cause irritation. Fortunately, there are many simple and natural ways to safely remove and treat corns at home. If they turn especially bothersome or painful, you may have to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist for screening and removal.

Here Are Some Tips for Treating and Removing Your Foot Corns at Home in a Few Days.

Soften the corn

The first step to remove corn is to soften the hard, thick bump of dead skin. It will make the rest of the process easy, and you will be able to remove the raised skin with the help of a skin file, or it will fall off on its own.

Soak your feet in warm water

Soaking your feet in warm water can relax or soften the toughened skin. Fill a tub or a small foot bath with warm water. You can also add Epsom salts with oil or perfumes for the calming effect. After soaking your feet in warm water for about 10 minutes, gentle filing may help remove the corn.

If you have large and old hard corns, you may have to soak your feet in water for a few days to soften the bump before you attempt to remove it without causing too much pain.

Moisturize the corn

Moisturizing the corn is also a smart way to soften it up. The cream or lotion will soften the hard bump, and provide nourishing moisture to it. This is important as some corns are dried accumulation of dead skin, and applying a scent-free lotion after shower or bath for a few days can help with gentle filing of the bump.

Use vitamin E oil

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient for skin and hair. It is a natural treatment for foot corns as the properties of this vitamin soften and moisturize skin, while the antioxidants help this foot irritation to heal easily.

You can purchase vitamin E capsules from the pharmacy. After carefully breaking the capsule, use a cotton swab to rub the oil on your corn before going to bed. Slip-on socks and let the vitamin E work its magic on the corn till it disappears or becomes soft enough to be taken out easily. You can also buy a vitamin E oil vial and moisturize your skin, even after the corn is gone to ensure the skin heals right.

File the corn

Once the corn is soft, it can be carefully filed using a pumice stone or an emery board. First, soak your feet in warm water or wipe them with soap and water solution before lightly filing the corn. Sometimes pumice stones are best for corns on the bottom pads of the feet or the top sides of toes. It is best to use a fingernail file for corn in between toes.

Do not file hard corn as it may result in pain or break the surrounding skin, resulting in bleeding. File the corn gently without exerting too much pressure or it can cause micro-abrasions in your skin, which can develop fungus and bacterial infection. Also, removing too many layers of skin can cause an open wound, which could rub open and worsen with walking or activity.

Home Remedies for Corn Removal

There are other homes, natural corn removal remedies that you can try at home to get rid of these stubborn bumps. Instead of filing, you can try natural remedies or other home-accessible treatment options to find relief.

Home remedies for removing corns include:

• Backing soda – Popularly known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is a great solution for removing corns due to its exfoliating properties. It scrubs the dead layer of the skin over the corn whiles its antibacterial and antifungal properties prevent infections. Soak your feet in a solution of baking soda and warm water for 15 minutes, and rub the corn and callus with a pumice stone.
• Garlic – It is a powerful healing agent that can treat skin ailments effectively. Its natural antioxidants fight fungal and bacterial infections and treat corns from the root. Prepare a paste of a few garlic cloves and apply it to the corn. Cover it with a cloth and leave it on overnight. Wash your feet the next morning. Keep on repeating this, and the corn will soften or fall off.
• Castor oil – It is one of the best remedies for any form of skin disease and helps to treat corn. Mix some castor oil with hot soapy water. Apply pumice stone to the hard bump followed by a hot water sock with castor oil. It will soothe the corn.
• Onion juice – Onion contains powerful acids and nutrients that neutralize the infection which caused the corn. Apply onion juice on the affected area and cover it with a cloth for 2 days. It will soften the hard corn, and it will eventually fall off.
• Lemon juice – Lemon provides relief from inflammation and pain in the corn. The hard center of the corn is the main point where the pain originates. Apply lemon juice on the corn and wait for it to dry out. Repeat the process as many times as you need till the hardened center of the corn falls out.
• Use corn pads: If you cannot remove the hard corns or the treatments and home remedies fail to work, you may find relief in padding the corn area with soft inserts. By wrapping or covering the bump before wearing shoes, you can prevent painful rubbing and pressure to heal the corn.

There are various options for corn pads. They include toe sleeves made from gel materials to corn cushions that go around the bump and more. Padding the corn with donut-style adhesive pads can protect them from making contact with shoes and turning painful.

Over the Counter Treatment Options

If home corn removal or relief treatments are not working, you can try over-the-counter products that are designed to clear up a corn or callus. They include:

Salicylic acid pads

Salicylic acid breaks down the skin cells collected in corn bumps, relieving the intensity of pain and reducing corn size. Several exfoliating scrubs and products use salicylic acid due to its effectiveness in removing dead skin and reducing pain.

Medicated lotions

Medicated lotions are an effective means to break down the corn without harming the skin. Mixing ammonium lactate or urea in these lotions can help remove the corn without causing the side effect of acid burn.

When to Seek Professional Help for Corn Removal?

If you have tried at-home foot corn removal techniques and failed to get rid of them, consulting a professional is the best option. Seek medical attention if your corn shows signs of infection and develops swelling, redness, or gets filled with pus. A highly trained and experienced podiatrist can remove as much as dead skin possible and bandage the area to heal.

If the corn is directly pressing on the nerve in the foot, it may require surgical procedures to get it out. In many cases, corns do not go away or reappear after some time due to ill-fitting shoes and other foot conditions such as hammertoes or bunions, which cause excessive rubbing in your shoes. Consulting a podiatrist can help you determine the best footwear to prevent further irritation. The doctor may even set you up with custom orthotics for relief from a pre-existing condition.

Corns are often confused with other foot ailments like blisters and warts. Lack of treatment or knowledge of removing them safely at home can lead to pain and limited movement. Get your bump checked out and professionally removed quickly and painlessly by visiting an expert foot and ankle doctor at the Century Medical and Dental Center. The top podiatrists analyze your foot condition to make sure it is nothing serious and recommend the best solutions to help you get rid of the pain and discomfort.