Getting rid of corns? - Foot Problems Message Board

ButterflyGirl22 · 11-14-2003, 07:20 PM

Does anyone have any tips for getting rid of corns? I have used Dr. Scholl's corn removers and they work, but I've been using them for years, so when I say they work, they've worked over years of using them... but not completely. I haven't been using them as much as I should. I wait weeks and weeks between applying the removers because after using them, my skin is red and I wait until it's not so red before using the removers again.

I have one corn that is almost gone and another that is getting there. Is there a better way of removing them? Is there a way I can get my skin to be less red faster, somehow heal it faster, so I can re-apply the corn removers faster?

Thanks!

sly_cutiepie · 11-15-2003, 10:59 AM

Hi Butterflygirl,

I've had corns for my entire adult life and now after 42 years I've had surgery to permanently fix the problem. I had to have a bunionectomy and at the same time also had a fifth toe arthroplasty. The arthroplasty only took about 20 minutes to perform and when I'm done healing up, I shouldn't have any more problems with the painful corns that I constantly had on the outside of my fifth toe as well as in the space between the fourth and fifth toes (those were especially painful!) The doc simply removed a small piece of bone from the fifth toe to make it more flexible and, therefore, less prone to producing corns.

Prior to surgery, I used Dr. Scholls all the time and it worked very well except for the fact that it takes several days of use (depending on severity) before you're able to remove the corn. I never developed redness or irritation, but I didn't like having to wait several days to get rid of the corn. In situations where the corn had grown very thick and painful and I needed immediate relief, I would sometimes use a disposable razor to *GENTLY* scrape off the outer layers of the corn. This provided immediate relief from corns on the outside of the fifth toe. The only problem is that it's very tempting to get overly ambitious with the razor and take off too much of the corn which can leave your toe feeling and looking very irritated for a couple of days. In my case, I've used the razor technique for such a long time that I've learned exactly how much shaving the corn can tolerate without causing irritation and soreness.

I haven't fully recovered from foot surgery yet, but my doctor was extremely confident that the fifth toe arthroplasty would really solve the problem of corns for me. So if surgery happens to be an option for you, I would highly suggest that you look into it as a permanent solution to your problem. I'm already very excited about the prospect of never having to keep a supply of corn removers and razors on hand anymore. Not to mention the pain and frustration of the corns themselves.

So I hope this was useful information for you and good luck in your pursuit of a remedy.

ButterflyGirl22 · 11-15-2003, 11:28 AM

Thanks sly_cutiepie for replying. The corns I have are on both feet on the toe next to my big toe. I believe I got them about ten years ago from a pair of sandals I used to wear. I didn't try to remove the corns until years later because honestly I didn't pay too much attention to them, thinking they'd go away on their own. I was 17 at the time and had no clue about foot problems! I thought corns were similar to blisters and were just irritations and would go away without treatment. Of course I was wrong! Maybe a few years ago I started using corn removers.

When I use the corn removers I leave them on for two days and after I shower I take them off and the skin underneath is white and usually able to be peeled off. When I do this, I'm gentle and only take off the skin that is ready to come off. (Sorry if this sounds gross!) My skin is always red or pink underneath after doing this. I wait at least a few days until the extreme redness goes away to use the removers again, but usually it's too irritated to try, so I'm left waiting weeks. The last time I used the removers was weeks ago and the area is still red. It looks like no matter how flat I get the corns to get, they're still visible because they look red or pink in the area. I have to wait months for the redness to completely go away.

I saw a podiatrist last year because I'm developing bunions. He told me it's up to me about surgery, which I decided to wait on. They're only painful if I wear the wrong shoes, so I just don't wear the wrong shoes anymore. I don't think the corns are a re-occurring problem, just a continuing problem. They don't hurt at all. The podiatrist told me to just use Dr. Scholl's corn removers, which at the time I had already been doing.

Is a bunionectomy where your bones are fixed to "remove" the bunion problem? I would love to get my bunions fixed, but my family doctor suggested I don't do anything unless they're painful, which they're not. For me it's more of a cosmetic thing. Well, they do hurt at times, but nothing bad enough to warrant surgery. I'm also afraid if I get surgery now, they may come back when I'm older, so I figure it's best to wait awhile and see how things go.

I have sensitive skin, so I think I'll have to deal with the redness from corn removers and be patient until they go away completely. Thanks for telling me your story. I'm glad things are better for you now! (Sorry this is so long!)