How to use urea cream with a pumice stone

Which goes first, pumice or urea cream?

1. 1Check your feet first. Look at the soles, tops and between your toes for cuts, wounds, blisters or painful areas. Use a mirror if reaching your feet is difficult.
2. 2Soak the hard skin in warm water for five to 10 minutes, until it softens. Do not soak your feet for longer than 10 minutes.
3. 3Wet the pumice stone, then gently move it across the corn or callus. One direction is a straightforward technique. Remove only a little surface skin; taking off too much can cause bleeding and infection.
4. 4Dry your feet thoroughly, including between your toes. Apply urea cream to the hard skin and surrounding dry skin, keeping cream out of the spaces between your toes.
5. 5Wait a few minutes before walking so the cream can soak in. Freshly moisturised feet can be slippery.

How often should you use each?

Apply the moisturising cream every day; that does not mean filing every day. A separate option for routine callus care is gentle filing on dry skin once or twice a week, with regular moisturising. Choose the softened skin method above or the dry filing method rather than doing both in one session. Keep the filing light whichever method you use.34

What strength of urea cream should you choose?

Urea foot creams are available in 10% and 20% strengths. Ask a podiatrist which is appropriate for your feet, particularly if thick skin keeps returning. Urea is used in creams and heel balms that soften and reduce thickened skin; stronger softening treatments are also used under professional care for severely cracked heels.245

What should you expect?

Expect gradual softening rather than complete removal in one session. Corns and calluses usually improve when the friction or pressure causing them stops. Better fitting shoes help reduce the pressure that causes corns, which is more useful than asking a pumice stone to negotiate with footwear. Padding around a corn or callus can reduce irritation, and insoles can help redistribute pressure. Persistent or recurring hard skin is a reason to have the pressure source assessed.356

When should you skip pumice and get help?

Do not treat corns or calluses yourself if you have diabetes, poor circulation, delicate skin or a tendency to develop infections. Never cut or shave hard skin with scissors, blades or other sharp objects. Stop filing if the skin bleeds. Contact a healthcare professional promptly for redness, swelling, heat, pus or other discharge, or significant pain.146

For early heel cracking, moisturising two to three times daily can help. Deep cracks can become painful, bleed or become infected. See a podiatrist for severely cracked heels or if a week of home care brings no improvement; treatment can include dressings, heel support or stronger softening creams.2