Having hardened skin on your feet can be extremely painful and unsightly and can make it difficult to wear shoes without discomfort. Small calluses can usually be treated with a file or pumice stone, but larger calluses on your feet and especially on your heels (heel fissures) can be difficult to properly trim without causing a wound, so be sure to see your foot care professional to remove cracked and hardened skin and prevent any injury and infection from occurring.

Treatments for foot calluses include the following:

• Custom orthotic shoe inserts—Custom made orthotic shoe inserts are formed to your precise foot shape and are utilized to treat a variety of foot and ankle problems. They can be used to shift pressure away from calluses and decrease pain.
• Debridement and shaving—Your foot care professional can perform dead skin removal without causing any unnecessary bleeding by carefully shaving or debriding the hardened skin.
• High strength acid peels—Prescription strength salicylic and other acid solutions can be used to soften the skin thereby making it easier to scrape off. These prescription strength acids are significantly more effective than those bought over the counter and should be used with the advice and direction of your foot doctor. Acid peels can be combined with the debridement procedure for nearly complete removal of the callus by your podiatrist.
• Surgery may be needed—In some situations there may be an underlying condition such as a bunion or hammertoe that is contributing to the formation of the callus. Since this is causing the callus, your foot specialist needs to treat the foot deformity in order to properly treat the callus.

If you have problem calluses or heel fissures on your feet, seeing your podiatrist is the best way to receive the proper diagnosis and treatment. Call Syracuse Podiatry located in East Syracuse, New York. Dr. Ryan L. D’Amico, Dr. Kathleen Pyatak-Hugar and their staff will help you diagnose and treat your foot or ankle condition. Call 315-446-3668 or make an appointment online today.