How to exfoliate your feet

What hard skin actually needs removing?

Calluses are broad patches of thick, hard skin, usually on the soles, heels, balls or sides of the feet. Corns tend to be smaller and rounder, commonly on the tops or sides of toes. Both develop where repeated rubbing or pressure makes skin thicken to protect the tissue underneath. Some callus on the bottom of the foot is normal. The aim is to reduce troublesome buildup, not remove every bit of protective skin. Thickened skin can become painful as it grows, and cracks in a callus can hurt.23

Who should skip home exfoliation?

Do not treat corns or calluses yourself if you have diabetes, circulation problems, a weakened immune system, delicate skin or a tendency to get infections. Older people should also seek a GP or foot specialist rather than attempt removal at home. Numbness in your feet or toes needs particular attention: problems with the nerves increase the risk of ulcers and infections. Have a clinician assess hard skin when these risks apply. Very painful skin, or a patch whose cause you cannot identify, also deserves assessment rather than more filing.1234

How to exfoliate hard skin safely

1. 1Soak the corn or callus in warm water for about five to ten minutes, or until the hard skin softens.
2. 2Wet a pumice stone in warm water before using it.
3. 3Gently rub the softened hard skin with the stone, using circular or sideways movements. Work on the buildup rather than trying to remove it all at once.
4. 4Leave enough skin intact. Removing too much can cause bleeding and infection.
5. 5Apply a moisturizing cream or lotion to the area, and continue moisturizing every day.

A pumice stone is not the only option. A washcloth can gently reduce a corn or callus while you bathe, and a foot file or emery board can remove softened hard skin. With an emery board, move gently in one direction. Never use a blade, scissors or another sharp object to cut out the thickened area. Shaving a callus is not a substitute for gentle rubbing because it can lead to infection.25

How often should you exfoliate your feet?

Use a pumice stone or foot file regularly to manage hard skin, with gentle removal rather than an aggressive session. Moisturizing has a clearer schedule: apply it daily to help keep the skin soft. Filing fits naturally after a warm soak or during bathing, when the thickened skin has softened. The amount you remove matters more than trying to finish the job in one sitting. Stop filing if the area bleeds, and seek medical advice.14

Which creams help soften hard skin?

Moisturizing creams or lotions containing urea, ammonium lactate or salicylic acid can gradually soften hard corns and calluses. Apply the moisturizer to the thickened area daily; urea and ammonium lactate soften the skin over time rather than removing the whole patch immediately. Moisturizing belongs in foot care too, despite being less dramatic than a collection of foot tools. Softening the skin and gently reducing buildup are different jobs, so a moisturizer still has a place when you use a pumice stone.12

Take more care with products sold specifically to dissolve corns or calluses. Their chemicals can injure healthy surrounding skin if application is not precise. Ask a pharmacist about treatment products rather than choosing solely by how much skin they promise to remove. A protective pad and a medicated removal product serve different purposes: padding reduces rubbing and pressure, while a dissolving product acts on the thickened skin. People with diabetes should not use these products to treat themselves.24

Stop the rubbing that brings hard skin back

Preventing friction is often the only treatment needed. Exfoliation reduces existing buildup, but pressure can keep producing more. Foot care includes properly fitting shoes, even though the exfoliating aisle would prefer to get all the credit. Shoes should have enough width and height around the toes, without tight spots that rub. Shop later in the day when feet can be slightly swollen, and have your feet measured if you are unsure of the fit. Long toenails can push toes against the shoe, so keep nails trimmed straight across without rounding the corners.123

Thick, cushioned socks, supportive shoes with a low heel and soft sole, and soft insoles or heel pads can help reduce pressure. Avoid tight, pointed shoes and high heels. A ring shaped protective pad can surround a corn so the sore area sits in the opening rather than directly under the pad. Avoid long walks or prolonged standing while a corn or callus is troublesome. If a bunion, hammertoe or another foot structure is causing repeated pressure, treating that underlying problem helps prevent the callus returning.234

How long does it take?

Softening and improvement are gradual. Most corns and calluses gradually go away once the friction or pressure causing them stops; continuing to wear shoes that rub leaves the cause in place. Seek a GP if home treatment has not helped after three weeks, or sooner if pain is severe or interferes with normal activities. That three week point is a reason to get assessed, not a deadline for filing the skin away.14

Foot care is different if you have diabetes

Have corns and calluses treated by a dermatologist or podiatrist rather than filing them yourself. Diabetes can cause very dry skin, deep cracks and slower healing, making infections a greater concern. For dry, cracked heels, a bedtime moisturizing routine uses a cream containing 10% to 25% urea, followed by a layer of petroleum jelly and white cotton socks. Repeat daily until the skin heals. This is heel moisturizing, not permission to remove a callus yourself. For general dry skin, choose a fragrance free cream or ointment containing ceramides, and apply after bathing or whenever skin feels dry.6

Check your feet every day for cuts, redness, swelling, sores, blisters, corns and calluses. Wash them in warm rather than hot water and dry them well, including between the toes. Wear socks and shoes that fit, and do not go barefoot, even indoors. Have your feet checked at every healthcare visit and see a foot doctor at least once a year.67

When to stop and get medical help

Stop home removal and contact a clinician if a corn or callus bleeds, leaks pus or other fluid, or has continuing pain, redness or warmth. With diabetes, seek immediate care for signs of a skin or nail infection or a wound that worsens or does not heal. A foot specialist can remove thickened skin professionally, use softening treatments, or provide pads and insoles that take pressure off the area. An infected or ulcerated corn or callus needs medical treatment rather than further exfoliation.346