Corns are hardened skin area, especially on toes, that occur because the skin area is excessively exposed to friction and friction. This hardened area may be located on either the top or bottom area of the toes. Soft corns may also occur in between the toes, causing soreness, discomfort, or pain while walking. Excessive rubbing coming from too-tight or ill-fitting shoes is the most common triggering factor of corns in between the toes. While there are various medications to help removing corns occurring between toes, some home remedies are also proven quite effective to perform the task.
Why using home remedies?
Despite the vast varieties of foot corn medications, home remedies are sometimes also preferred. There are some advantages you might encounter when using home remedies to get rid of corns occurring between the toes, such as:
- Lower budget. Most home remedies are easier to find and affordable. Some treatment methods are simple to do and some ingredients are definitely affordable.
- Less irritation. Some over-the-counter medications for foot corns are acidic and thus, may be irritating for those with over sensitive skin. These medications are also not recommended for diabetic people, as they may be abrasive to the skin and can potentially cause open wounds.
- Flexible. Because of the easiness of treatments you can perform at home, you do not need any specific time to perform it. You can even perform the treatments in daily basis for best foot corn solution.
Removing corns between toes at home
Corns appearing between toes are known as soft corns. Different from those hard corns that often occur on the bottom of foot or foot sole and on the outside of the small pinky toe, soft corns are always visible between the toes. The color is also more whitish, compared to the flesh-colored hard corns on the top or the bottom of toes. Removing soft corns can be done at home without any prescribed medications:
- Soak your foot in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. This will soften the area affected by corns.
- Use a pumice stone or mild skin file to gently sand the corn between your toes.
- Apply ointment or gel containing salicylic acid that will tenderize the ski around the corn, making it easier to get rid of.
- Repeat the treatments in daily basis, but make sure you are not over scrubbing the corn, as it may aggravate the skin, leading to infection.
Since soft corns occur when due to the friction of ill-fitting or too-tight shoes, your toes rub together, covering your corn-affected toes with breathable cotton gauze or soft lamb wool will eventually improve the affected site. Every time you are wearing shoes or sandal, cover the toes with soft lamb wool or cotton gauze to separate each toe from another. Change the dressing regularly to prevent bacterial infestation that may instead lead to infection.
Your footwear holds a very significant role in soft corn formation. If you are wearing too-tight shoes or sandals that do not fit well, your toes will rub together, resulting in formed soft corns. Hence, there are some suggestions regarding your footwear that are essential in improving corn-affected toes and preventing reoccurrence in the future, such as:
- Shop for shoes and sandals later in the day. The feet tend to reach its original size later in the day, while earlier, it may shrink a bit. Thus, shop for the shoes during the right time to make sure it is well-fitted.
- Wear ergonomic shoes with soft pads to make sure your weight is well supported and distributed evenly all over the foot. Avoid wearing shoes with limited room for the toes, as it may cause the toes to rub together and trigger the appearance of soft corns. Loose shoes will give your toes adequate room, so that the formed corns will be aggravate more.
Beneficial remedies for corns between toes
In addition to the treatment for soft corns above, some home remedies are also beneficial to get rid of this thickened skin.
- Epsom salt. Salt is a natural anti-bacterial agent that can be added into warm water you are using to soak the foot corn. It will kill infesting bacteria and impose skin condition.
- Baking soda. This ingredient will also soften the skin between the toes, making it is easier to eliminate any formed soft corns in between these toes.
- Honey and sugar. Mix the two ingredients to form a paste that is essential to gently scrub the corn-affected toes spaces. As a natural scrub, honey-sugar scrub will not likely to irritate the affected area and thus, prevents the risk of having it infected. Apply the scrub once every two days to get rid of soft corns eventually.
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