Corn like a callus is a thick, hard layer of skin built up on the foot by pressure and friction. Shoes that are too tight are often the culprit as are uninterrupted periods of walking and standing or other repetitive activities.
Corns tend to be more painful. One big difference between corns and calluses is corns are smaller, typically a hard raised bump. This can make them easier to treat. Some people use a file to get rid of them.
This can be done if you use a good soak and cocoa butter to soften it up first. Some people prefer to use corn pads to safely get rid of corns without damaging the surrounding healthy skin. They are often used in conjunction with castor oil.
What Are Corn Pads?
They are cushions that often come with medicated discs. The medication, usually salicylic acid, softens the corns to make them easier to remove. Soft foam pads aid in cushioning the corn from painful pressure and friction from shoes.
What Are Corn Pads Used For?
Corn pads aid in the protection against excessive pressure or friction on and around your corn. They are available in a wide range of materials such as foam, felt, and moleskin. For the most part, these pads are shaped like rings.
This is for the purpose of redistributing the pressure around the corn. Adhesive backing keeps them attached to the skin. They should be placed so that the corn is in the hole in the middle.
Do Corn Pads Really Work?
They do not so much get rid of the corn as soften it up and keep it from getting worse while reducing pain. The direct cause of the corn is what needs to be addressed. Corn pads treat a symptom in the short run. They will not permanently remove the corn. They can, however, keep the corn from forming in the first place if put on a problem area.
How Do Corn Pads Work?
Corn pads work by causing the amount of moisture in the skin to increase and thereby dissolve the substances that cause the skin cells to adhere to each other. This makes it easier to slough off the excess skin cells.
What Are The Side Effects of Using Corn Pads?
Some people may experience some slight burning, peeling, or reddening of the skin. If these symptoms are persistent you should tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Most people do not experience serious side effects. Some people may be allergic to the materials involved.
How To Use Corn Pads?
If it is moleskin, there are two ways to go about this. For small calluses and corns, you can cut a circle out from the moleskin and then cut the middle out of the circle so you have a pad shaped like a ring.
Put the sticky backing onto your skin in such a way that the callus or corn is in the hole made by the ring and the pad surrounding it. If you have a larger callus on the ball of your foot, you should use protective padding.
Place this pad in such a way that it spans beyond the edges of the callus but does not cover the callus. This can be done to one or even more of the calluses using one pad. This pad deflects weight away from the callus. This pad is what is commonly known as a metatarsal pad.
Are Corn Pads Safe To Use?
For the most part, they are. However, you should be extra careful when using over-the-counter (nonprescription) liquid corn removers or medicated corn pads. These types of corn pads are made with salicylic acid, which may be an irritant to healthy skin and lead to infection.
This is especially true for people who have diabetes or other conditions that lead to poor blood flow. Some corn pads have latex and some do not. If you are allergic to latex be sure to read the packaging.
Best Corn Pads
- Dr. Scholl’s manages to sweep the top three spaces in Amazon’s bestseller lists when it comes to corn pads. Both their six-count and four-count with Duragel technology are the customer favorites.
- For people who do not just want corns treated but gone, Dr. Scholl’s offers a kit that comes with a medicated liquid (Salicylic acid liquid) that is capable of removing corns safely and effectively. The soft cushions it offers help relieve painful shoe pressure and friction.
- ZenToes U-Shaped Felt Callus Pads, as the name suggests, are more for calluses, specifically those on the balls of the feet. However, ZenToes does have a viable corn treatment with their Soft Foam Callus Cushions. They are pretty bare-bones, but they keep the corns from becoming more irritated.
- Compeed comes close to the old school Dr. Scholl’s. Though, they seem more of a preventative rather than a treatment.
Do Corn Pads Hurt?
As long as you are not allergic to any of the substances in the corn pad, it should not hurt at all. In fact, the whole purpose of a corn pad is to reduce the pain caused by corns. They provide soft cushioning around the corn to keep it from becoming irritated further by pressure and friction. The corn pads if used properly are not only painless but pain preventers.
Can Corn Pads Get Wet?
They need to be kept dry. Make sure your foot is clean and dry before you put the corn pads on, to begin with. When you take a bath or shower you need to tie your foot in a plastic bag so that the caps will not get wet. You will need to leave them on in place as long as you possibly can.
How Long To Leave Corn Pads On?
The package that they come in should have directions. In most cases, it is expected that you will take off and replace a new patch or bandage usually every eight hours to two days, depending on which brand it is. Keep doing this procedure for up to two weeks for corns and calluses and about twelve weeks for warts.
How Long Do Corn Pads Take To Work?
The reason you should leave the corn pad for eight hours to two days is that’s how long it takes to work. It depends on the severity of the corn and the strength of the medication if any is used.
How Do You Store Corn Pads?
You should store corn pads at temperatures below 30˚Celsius/86˚Fahrenheit. Storing corn pads in environments above these temperatures will likely lead to the product losing a good deal of their effectiveness.
The adhesive on the ring could very well slip. What’s more, the salicylic acid will be less likely to be concentrated directly on top of the corn. You should also make sure that the product is stored well away from direct sunlight and severe humidity.
Do Corn Pads Expire?
They do have an expiration date you should check for. Very much like heat-based degradation, age-based degradation will put limits on any product efficacy. Notwithstanding the adhesive inadequacy, the foam ring that is frequently included for comfort can easily lose its soft and spongy texture that guards against friction and aids in alleviating at least some of the pain that is associated with corns
What To Do After Removing Corn Pads?
You throw them away, of course. After that, you can soak your feet in a warm salt or soap water bath and then perhaps use a pumice stone to rub away what’s left of the corn. Do not try to take the corn out using a sharp object such as a knife or a razor blade. Once the corn is removed you can moisturize your feet with foot cream or lotion.
Conclusion
Corn removal pads keep corns from getting worse by protecting them from further friction and pressure. This gives the corn more time to heal. Some of the corn pads are treated with medication. Ask your doctor what kind is right for you.
References:
- https://www.wikihow.com/Use-Corn-Caps
- https://www.healthline.com/health/foot-corn
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3oA_-AcjaE
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1SuJp84JOU
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-SdX-dKL5s
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bHAdTuh5kw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrVmRsg3n74
- https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/ug2410
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- https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-63986/corn-remover-topical/details
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