What is a callus?
A callus is a condition where your skin becomes hardened due to excess skin formation. Usually, callus will form on your feet and also hands, at a place where there are a lot of frictions. While it is not considered as a serious medical condition, some people think that callus is bothersome. This is particularly true because it sometimes can become too excessive. In a severe case, callus formation can become excessive and can bother any individual. Usually, a severe callus can restrict our movement and also give some feeling of uneasiness at the affected place. Besides, some people also reported that severe callus can interfere with their daily activities. Others also complain that they want to resolve this condition due to cosmetic reasons. However, callus is usually harmless for most of the people. So, you do not need to be worried if you have a callus. But, if you still think that removing the callus will make you feel better, then it is recommended to meet your doctor and discuss possible treatments to remove it. Continue reading the article to know what is the best way to remove a callus.
How do you remove a callus?
As stated above, callus is usually harmless and need not be removed if unnecessary. But if you feel that your callus is hindering your lifestyle, then it is best to remove them as quickly as possible. Here are some of the ways that you can choose to remove your callus:
- Trim the excess skin
If you think that your callus is hindering your daily activities such as you feeling uncomfortable walking or running, you can try to remove the excess skin by trimming. This process is not a major surgery, so do not worry about its side effects. However, you still need to be careful and please do not trim it on your own. This is because any small injury can lead to infection, hence giving you a bigger problem. The safest way to do so is by meeting your doctor and leaving it to the professional. They will usually use their tools such as scalpel to remove it. It will just take a short amount of time and you will feel better after that. However, this treatment does not remove the callus altogether as it might come again in the future.
- Callus-removing medication
For those who do not like to be put under the knife, you can opt to use some medications. The best medication available to treat or remove callus is called salicylic acid 40%. This medication usually comes in a patch form. Meaning that you can just apply this patch on the excess skin in order to remove it. It is easily available without prescription and you can usually find it at any nearby pharmacy or health stores. Your doctor will teach you on how to use this patch and what is the frequency of changing it. Besides, salicylic acid is also available in gel-form and can also be used easily.
- Surgery
For those with a severe callus, your doctor might suggest you undergo surgery. Usually, people that need to undergo this treatment are the one that has bone deformity due to the excess skin. It is just a minor surgery so do not worry too much. Your doctor will correct the bone alignment that was caused by the unnecessary friction due to the callus. After the surgery, you might need to undergo some physiotherapy in order to get back in shape. Besides, your doctor might also provide you with some necessary medications.
