Corn and Callus Treatment in Markham
Professional Care from Our Experienced Markham Chiropodists
Calluses and corns are areas of thick, hardened skin. They form on the feet because of repeated pressure and friction. They can get thick enough to make walking painful.
What Causes Calluses and Corns?
How you walk and how your feet are built can put too much pressure on certain spots. When that pressure combines with poor foot mechanics or ill-fitting shoes, the skin protects itself by thickening into a callus or corn. Feet also change over time, especially as we age, so calluses and corns can appear later in life even if you’ve never had them.
Why Do They Form?
Your skin thickens to protect itself. Pressure builds up in certain spots because of:
- Ill-fitting shoes
- The way you walk
- Your foot structure
- Natural changes in your feet as you age
That’s why corns and calluses can show up later in life, even if you’ve never had them before.
What You Can Do at Home
- Wear supportive, well-fitting shoes, indoors and outdoors
- Moisturize your feet regularly
- Gently file with a pumice stone if needed
What to avoid:
- Don’t cut or pick at them. This can make them worse or cause an infection.
- Be careful with medicated removers. Avoid them completely if you have diabetes or poor circulation in your legs or feet.
- Always read the product instructions before use.
How We Can Help
If a corn or callus is still painful, we’ll review your medical history, examine your feet and build a treatment plan with you. This may include:
- Safe removal with sterilized instruments
- Protective padding to relieve pressure
- A footwear assessment with better alternatives
- Footwear changes or custom orthotics to reduce pressure and help prevent a return
Our instruments are fully sterilized between every patient, so your care is clean, safe and professional.
Corns vs. Calluses: What’s the Difference?
Both are thickened, hardened skin caused by pressure and friction. They differ in size, location and how they feel.
Corns
- Look: Small, round, often with a hard centre
- Where: Tops and sides of toes, or between toes
- Feel: Sharp pain, especially in shoes
- Common causes: Tight shoes, hammertoes
Calluses
- Look: Larger, flatter patches
- Where: Heels, ball of the foot, side of the big toe
- Feel: Often less painful, but can crack or get sore
- Common causes: How you walk, foot structure, long hours standing
Not sure which you have? Plantar warts can look similar. Our chiropodists can examine your feet and confirm what’s causing your discomfort.
We Can Help Remove Your Calluses & Corns Safely
If painful corns or calluses are making it hard to walk, Mount Joy Foot Clinic & Orthotic Centre can help. Our licensed chiropodists safely remove corns and calluses using instruments that are fully sterilized between every patient, so you can feel confident your care is clean, safe and professional. Book an appointment today and take the first step toward comfortable, pain-free walking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answering Questions about Corns & Callus
They’re your skin’s way of protecting itself. Repeated friction or pressure, usually over a bony area, makes the skin build up extra layers. Over time it gets thick, hard and sometimes painful.
We don’t recommend it. Cutting or shaving can cause cuts and infection. Medicated corn pads contain acids that can’t tell healthy skin from thick skin, so they can burn it and cause open sores. The risk is higher for people with diabetes or poor circulation. Professional removal is the safest option.
Usually not. Your chiropodist carefully trims away the thickened skin with sterile instruments, and that skin is dead tissue. We also look at why the pressure spot developed so we can address the cause.
Wear shoes that fit well, with enough room at the toes. Use supportive insoles and apply a urea-based moisturizer daily. If thick or painful buildup comes back, have it treated professionally rather than treating it aggressively yourself.
Yes. If a corn or callus keeps coming back in the same spot, there’s usually an imbalance in how you walk or in your foot structure. Custom orthotics spread pressure more evenly across your foot, which reduces the friction behind it.
