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The constant chaffing and pressure we subject our feet to every day can lead to painful problems.
Your feet take you where you want to go, and you may spend hours on them every day, but they are often neglected. Poorly ventilated feet can lead to fungal infections while poorly fitted shoes will result in aches and strains. Wearing ill-fitting shoes subjects your feet to friction and pressure and can cause problems like corns and ingrown toe nails.
What are the common foot woes that can come about from the constant chaffing and pressure on your feet?
Three experts give their input. They are: Ms Jessie Phua, a senior podiatrist from Changi General Hospital; Ms Tan Chiang Wei, a podiatrist from Singapore General Hospital; and Ms Kin Ismail, the head of podiatry at Singapore Footcare Centre.
Corns and calluses
 A callus is a patch of yellowish thickened skin (right).
A corn is a callus that has been pinched into a central point and usually causes pain when pressed on. (Photo on the far right shows what is left after a corn has been removed.)
A person with corns may feel that he is walking on sharp rocks. The thickened outer layer of skin is caused by increased pressure over a particular area.
How it happens: Corns and calluses are caused by constant rubbing on certain points of the foot due to ill-fitting footwear, foot deformities or certain walking styles.
For example, if you have a high-arched foot and often put more pressure on the outer part of the foot when walking, calluses may develop on the outer side of the heel.
Those who subject their feet to a lot of stress, such as athletes, are also more prone to calluses and corns.
Treatment: Filing with a pumice stone and applying moisturisers can reduce calluses.
Corn plasters and corn removers which contain salicylic acid can also be used.
However, podiatrists say diabetics should not use over-the-shelf corn removers because any break of the skin may be difficult to heal and infection could occur. This could result in ulcers and, in serious cases, gangrene and amputation. A podiatrist can help to remove the corn with a scalpel instead.
Corns and calluses will recur if a person continues to wear ill-fitting shoes. For instance, a corn on the last toe is a sign that the person’s shoes may be too narrow. If a woman reduces the height of the heels she
wears, she can reduce the chances of calluses developing on the forefoot.
What to note: Some people believe in using lighted joss sticks to remove corns but this will only burn the skin and increase the risk of foot infection.
Sometimes, plantar warts are mistaken for corns. Warts usually appear as hardened lumps with multiple black specks and are caused by a virus. They are removed by applying salicylic acid or by freezing them off with liquid nitrogen.
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