A plantar callus is a hard, rough area of the skin that forms on the bottom of the foot between your heel and your toes. They occur as a result of too much pressure being placed on one area of the foot leading to an abnormal weight distribution. This can make activities such as walking difficult or painful. The skin forming on the callus can be yellowish or grayish in appearance and be hard, dry and flaky.

A plantar callus can be caused by a wide range of factors with the most common being ill-fitting shoes and prolonged walking or running. Anything that causes abnormal foot function over a sustained period of time. The skin then acts as a defense mechanism to prevent the skin from breaking down.

A complete list of factors causing a foot callus include:

• Excessive walking or running
• Not wearing shoes
• Poorly fitting shoes
• Socks with seams by the toes
• Athletic activities that result in frictional stress on the feet
• Bone deformities or prominence’s
• Flat feet
• Bunions
• Open heel shoes and footwear such as sandals or flip flops
• High-heeled shoes putting too much pressure on one area of the foot
• Oversupination or overpronation putting too much stress on the bottom of the foot.
• Previous fracture of the foot leading to an abnormal weight distribution

Diagnosis of a plantar callus is made by a health expert or podiatrist who will take a biopsy or in most cases just diagnose on sight. If necessary an x-ray will be taken to determine the cause of the corn or callus. Sometimes the underlying bony structure within the foot is responsible for the corn or callus.

The podiatrist may also examine the way you walk and whether your footwear is responsible for the problem. A lot of foot problems including plantar calluses are caused by unnatural positioning of the feet, due to shoes such as high heels, sandals or flipflops.

A biopsy is necessary if it is not clear whether it is a skin infection caused by a virus, such as a wart as this can have a similar appearance to a foot callus.

The main difference between plantar warts, plantar calluses and corns are in appearance and number.

Location
• Corns usually appear on top of the toes although sometimes also on the heel and the ball of the foot.
• Plantar calluses appear on the plantar region of the foot
• Plantar warts usually (but not always) occur on the heel or ball of the foot

Appearance
• Warts have a dry, crusty surface and contain small black dots, they often develop in clusters
• Corns are thick, hardened skin only and do not occur in clusters
• Plantar Calluses are thick, hardened flaky skin and do not occur in clusters

Infectious
• Warts are infectious and are often passed on when walking barefoot on moist surfaces
• Corns are not infectious
• Plantar Calluses are not infectious

In most cases you can remove a plantar callus yourself using commercially available products. However if they continue to be painful or reoccur you should consult your doctor.

If you also suffer with poor circulation, loss of sensation or diabetes you should not try to get rid of the plantar callus yourself but seek medical attention due to a higher risk of infection.

A dermatologist or podiatrist can trim the callus without the need for any anesthesia. If the plantar callus is caused by foot deformities or prominence, the podiatrist can prescribe orthotics or perform surgeries to alleviate the cause of the problem.

Rarely do calluses lead to medical complications and medical attention. However you should visit the hospital or doctor if the following symptoms are present:

• There is redness that spreads to other areas of the foot
• Drainage or puss from the sore indicating infection or ulceration
• Significant pain and swelling around the callus
• Finger and toes change colour
• In the process of cutting or shaving the callus you cause it to bleed resulting in a possible infection
• Decaying tissue which could result in gangrene
• High Fever

You can prevent most plantar calluses by simply wearing properly fitted shoes that are not too tight and do not produce too much pressure on the plantar region of the foot.

Shoes that are most likely to cause a plantar callus include high heels, sandals and flip flops. If your occupation requires that you wear high heeled shoes you can always walk to work in well fitted shoes and change them later.

Having both feet measured professionally and wearing properly fitted shoes will prevent most plantar calluses. You should not wear shoes that are too tight and should leave about half an inch between the front of the shoe and your longest toe.

Consider wearing shoes that contain a soft inner lining to reduce friction to the soul of the foot and try to avoid sharp movements that result in pressure being applied unevenly.

Electric Callus Removers work better than pumice stones, scrubs or grater-like foot files as they’re less painful to apply and require less effort. The downside is that they’re more expensive.

Here’s some things to look out for before purchasing an electric callus remover, based on feedback, reviews and my own experience with clients. I provide my own recommendation at the end that fulfills all of these criteria.

Rechargeable – If you’re camping and doing a lot of walking it isn’t uncommon to develop a callus. Electric callus removers can run out of charge quickly. If you’re on holiday and don’t have access to a plug socket you should consider a rechargeable electric callus remover with a good battery life. Don’t run out of battery after developing a painful callus!

Quartz crystals – For best results you should use the electric callus remover over multiple days spending a few seconds on the same area. With rollers made of quartz micro crystals less time is needed on the affected area which means less pain! Plus they’re designed for long term use and durability.

Money back Guarantee – Some companies offer a no questions asked money back guarantee. This way you wont be wasting your money! Be sure to find out what there returns policy is.

Refill Rollers – Buying from a better known brand means its easier to find rollers that fit your product.

Water resistant – While it isn’t recommended to submerge the product fully under water it should be resistant to water splashing. You don’t want the device to fail soon after purchasing it.

Positive Reviews – Be sure to check out the reviews. Amazon is a great place to start as they provide reviews, ratings and feedback on the product