At least once a week in clinical practice, I will have someone come to me for a painful corn, they have usually tried every treatment available over the counter either to no avail and have further problems made worse by these corn plasters. When I debride the hard skin, I will find the skin has ulcerated beneath and this requires debridement and a regular dressing plan to get the skin stable again. For those who aren’t squeamish there is a great video which shows just how the acid affects the skin and how a podiatrist will debride it. So, I suggest it is best to avoid using corn plasters all Keep your toenails trimmed. Long toenails can rub on the neighbouring toes or push the toe against the shoe which can cause corns on the toes. To trim your toenails correctly, make sure to cut them straight across and not rounded or angled. If you have diabetes or poor circulation, you should avoid these treatments, or consult your doctor or chiropodist before any treatment. Firstly, it is best to look at the route cause of the problem first. Have you started wearing a new pair of shoes before the corn started? Recently started a new activity? Have you had a recent injury? If you aren’t sure why it has started forming; speak to a Podiatrist – we are very good detectives and can explore the reasons for the corn developing and discuss ways to prevent it in the future. This may be using a wedge, insole or changing footwear style or shape.

Blisters: at the first signs of irritation or blister formation, the Compeed ® blister plaster will help relieve the pain due to friction thanks to its cushioning effect. Corns and calluses: the Compeed ® plaster maintains an environment which removes the corn by moisturizing and softening it and helps relieve pain.Filing – If it is causing irritation, gently filing it down with a pumice stone might help to relieve pressure.

Unfortunately, the salicylic acid in Corn plasters cannot distinguish between healthy skin and corn and, as a such, can burn the skin quite severely spreading to surrounding healthy skin. The paste in corn plasters spreads to surrounding tissue blistering and burning the skin. The corn and the surrounding skin become white and soggy and more often than not the centre where the corn was remains with the skin beneath becoming fragile and breaking down under the weight of the corn. This leads to wounds, ulcers and infection. This is particularly important to avoid for people with diabetes and circulatory conditions as well as those who are immunocompromised but they can more often than not affect healthy young people too! Examples This is most often achieved by simply changing to more comfortable footwear or using padding (moleskin or adhesive pads available in pharmacies) until new shoes are broken in. In some cases, insoles might help. Dip the pumice stone in the water and then gently remove the dead skin by circular or sideways motions.

Step 2: File the callus with a pumice stone or foot file.– Once the callus is softened, you can file it with a pumice stone. Dip the pumice stone in water and then gently remove the dead skin by circular or sideways motions. You can also use a foot file as an exfoliating tool. Pay attention not to remove too much skin as this might cause bleeding and infection. Instead, remove only small amounts and repeat the action regularly until the callus disappears. Be careful not to remove too much skin as this might cause bleeding and infection. Instead, remove only small amounts and repeat the action regularly until the corn disappears. Avoid wearing ill-fitting shoes where possible. Try not to wear shoes that are too tight, too loose, too high or have badly placed seams. Types of shoes such as high heels, pointed-toe heels and high arched boots are generally not well adapted for wearing for long periods of time.