A callus (hard skin) or callosity is thickened and reddened area of the skin which turns rigid due to the repeated abrasion (friction) force. Recurrent contact of the callus with friction can also result in blisters.
Callus is mainly set up on the feet because that is the only part of the body which faces the continuous rubbing.
Callus does not easily vanish from the body, and usually, it is harmless, but sometimes can even result in assorted problems like skin ulceration and contagion.
Table of Contents
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Calluses
Here are some Instant Home Remedies for curing callus.
1.Soaked Epsom Salt
Elements Needed
- Epsom salt 3-4 tbsp.
- A foot sink/tub.
- Lukewarm water filled in the foot tub, towel.
- And a pumice stone.
Procedure
- Add Epsom salt to the lukewarm water and steer it properly.
- Place your feet or hands affected by lump into this solution for at least 30 minutes.
- If you feel the water is losing its warmness, you can keep on adding more warm water at regular intervals.
- Now remove or hands or feet out of the water and rub the callused part with the pumice stone, until the reddened portion gets soft.
- Gently rinse the hydrated skin with the towel and apply some moisturizer.
Repeat the same procedure for 2-3 times per week.
How does it help?
Soaking your feet or hand in the warm water will soften your skin and adding special ingredients like Epsom salt will boost up the softening of the rigid callus. This is the best remedy to remove the callus from feet.
2.Baking Soda
Elements Needed
- Baking soda 3 tbsp.
- A foot basin.
- Lukewarm water.
Procedure
- Add lukewarm water and baking soda to the foot tub and steer it properly.
- Now soak your feet or hand for approx 30 minutes into the solution.
- After soaking, dry out the hydrated parts and apply moisturizer.
- In the beginning, you can repeat this procedure for 2-3 times per week eventually reducing to once in a week after some duration.
How Does It Help?
The crystal of the baking soda removes the dead cells from the outermost layer and makes your skin smooth.
3.Chamomile Tea
Elements Needed
- 1-2 tbsp/tea bags of chamomile tea.
- 4-5 cups of lukewarm water.
- Regular soap and chilled water for rinsing.
Procedure
- Prepare tea for approx 5-10 minutes with the help of chamomile tea bags and warm water.
- Pour this tea into the foot tub and soak the affected part in the tea for 30 minutes.
- When tea gives some stains on your body parts, you can gently rinse them with soap and water.
- Dry out your skin and apply some moisturizer.
- Follow the same procedure for 2-3 times per week.
How Does It Help?
Chamomile tea will help to maintain the pH level of your affected part so that it prohibits sweating. Remember! Even constant sweating leads to the formation of callus. Beside this, chamomile tea will also provide the soothing effect to your skin.
4.Apple Cider Vinegar
Elements Needed
- A bowl and apple cider vinegar.
- Cotton balls. Pumice stone.
- A piece of bread.
- A tape.
Procedure
- Soak the cotton ball or the piece of bread in the apple cider vinegar.
- Place any of them over the callus and cover it with tape.
- Keep it as it is for the whole night.
- Next day morning, rub the callus with the help of the pumice stone.
- Dry out the hydrated part and apply some moisturizer.
How Does It Help?
The acidic nature of the apple cider vinegar helps in softening your skin by disposing of the callus.It also helps in the maintaining the pH level of your skin.
5.Lemon Juice
Elements Needed
- 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice.
- 1-2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Baking soda.
Procedure
- Make a proper blend of lemon juice and olive oi.
- Add baking soda to this liquid mixture to turn it into a smooth, thick paste.
- Apply this paste over your Callus and leave it in the same condition for 30 minutes.
- If you feel the paste is sliding off, you can cover it with cotton balls.
How Does It Help?
Lemon, unlike apple cider vinegar, has the natural acidic property so that it won’t harm your skin ever.This acidic nature will soften your skin.
6.Sugar Scrub
Elements Needed
- ½ cup of finely ground
- Mineral oil.
- Required drops of lemon juice.
Procedure
- Make a loose paste by blending all the above-mentioned ingredients.
- Start scrubbing the affected part with this homemade sugar scrub.
- Especially, massage it on the rigid core part of the callus for 15-20 minutes.
- Wash it off with the warm water, dry it the hydrated part and apply moisturizer to it.
- Repeat the procedure for 2-3 times a week.
How Does It Help?
Sugar crystals will exfoliate the dead skin of callus and make your skin smooth.
7.Pineapple
Elements Needed
- Pineapple peelings.
- Dirt-free cloth, cotton, and tape.
Procedure
- Place the pineapple peel over the callus and tie a cloth around it or simply put cotton on it and tape it.
- Leave the arrangement for the whole night.
- Repeat the same procedure until you get rid of dead skin.
How Does It Help?
Enzymes present in the pineapple helps to discard the dead cells, eventually the Callus too and soften your rough skin.
8.Soaked Pineapple Juice And Coconut Milk
Elements Needed
- 2-3 cups of pineapple juice.
- 1 cup of coconut milk. Lukewarm water.
- Foot Tub.
- Pumice stone.
Procedure
- Pour warm water into the foot tub; add pineapple juice and coconut milk to it. Steer it properly.
- Soak the affected part in the solution for about 20-25 minutes.
- Wash it off with the warm water; rub the callus with the pumice stone.
- Dry out the hydrated part and apply moisturizer to it.
- Repeat the procedure 1-2 times per week.
How Does It Help?
Now you are aware of the benefits of pineapple, besides this coconut milk will help you to lock the moisture in your skin.
9.Papaya Foot Mask
Elements Needed
- 1 tbsp of papaya juice.
- Cotton ball.
- Tape or cloth.
Procedure
- Clutch out the juice from the unrefined pineapple and apply to your callus.
- If you feel it too clumsy, you can soak the cotton ball in the pineapple juice and then put it over your callus and tie it with a cloth or tape.
- You can even apply papaya pulp on the callus.
- Follow any of the procedure mentioned above twice in a day.
How Does It Help?
Papaya possesses the enzyme called papain that can break down the protein molecules of Callus through the process of hydrolysis. Thus, makes your rigid skin soft.
10.Licorice
You can directly apply licorice over the callus. It possesses an element similar to estrogen that will soften your skin by peeling off the dead cells.
What Causes Callus?
Callus is resulted due to the repeated friction force faced by the part of the body. Human skin is made up of some layers, and the outermost layer is bulky and is formed of the dead cells.
These cells tend to shed off as the time passes, and the new cells beneath the layer start replacing them with the dead cells.
How Friction Plays An Important Role?
After all, it’s about friction! When the outermost layer encounters the abrasion relentlessly, the number of dead cells tends to get multiplied where else side by side the formation of the new cells beneath the skin is continued.
This results in a callus. It usually happens when the deceased consumes quite a long duration to shed off while the new cells have already started adding up to the outermost layer!
Reasons Of Forming Callus
The callus is caused due to the following reasons:
- Walking into the smaller sized shoes.
- Not wearing socks under the shoes.
- Some tools and equipment used frequently can also result in the formation of callus.
- Sweating too leads to callus.
Therefore, the callus can be seen on the fingers of the mountain climbers whose tall fingers are constantly facing the abrasion with the rocks.
Event the instrument players like the guitar player, a double bass player can also have the callus on their fingers.
Effects Of Callus
- For a time, the callus can also result without any abrasion. Such kind of callus can affect the individual to lot extent.
- Toxic like arsenic can ground thick inflammation over palms and soles, this, in turn, can lead to disease like syphilis.
- Corns are the specially shaped callus that is usually formed on the hairless or soft skin surfaces; they especially occur on the dorsal surface of toes and fingers.
This corn shaped of callus if formed when the outermost layer forms an oblique or semi-elliptical trail during the resistance, due to which the center point of pressure on callus keeps on widening.
Symptoms Of Callus
First, let me clear the difference between the corn and callus.
Corn is kind of shape that a callus forms. However, it is minor in size than the callus and possesses a rigid center surrounded by puffy skin. Corns are painful while the callus is not.
Calluses are rarely painful. They are found on the soles of the feet and the palms or even on knees. They vary in size but are always larger than the corns.
- A normal callus is a scrap of squashed, dead skin seen anywhere on the body.
- A hard corn is a patch of rigid skin with a dense core situated on the top of a toe.
- A soft corn is just a mild reddened area on the skin surface and has a smooth axis which is found in between the toes.
- A seed corn is a cork-like loop of dead cells and is often aching.
- A plantar callus will be observed towards the base shell of the foot.
Other Symptoms
- You may notice a substantial, coarse area on the skin.
- Also, a bump will be raised on this thick rough part.
- Soon it might even start aching in this rigid area.
- The skin would turn blistering, dehydrated or waxy.
How To Prevent Callus?
- Avoid wearing tight shoes that might cause harsh rubbing to your feet and toes.
- Do not wear high heels and dress shoes for the longer duration of time.
- Use cushion or pads to protect the areas of the body which are under constant friction.
- Keep a practice of applying body softening creams or moisturizers on your skin for twice in a day.
- Put on contented and soft shocks to prevent callus towards the foot.
- Always keep your foot clean for the same.
When To See A Doctor?
If a corn or callus turns out to be very aching or agitated, you need to visit your doctor. Especially if you are a diabetic patient, see your doctor even if you notice a minor indication. Even a little wound can cause damage to your foot and can eventually result in ulcers.
Note
- Have a habit of regularly applying moisturizer on your skin.
- Do not let your skin dry out in winter nor do let it sweat out excessively in summer.
- Try and maintain your body temperature by surrounding yourself with the soothing.
- Keep your body clean, bath twice a day during summer.
- Have a dry free summer!
