# Remove thick callus



## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

DB has really thick callus on the balls of his feet and his hands that are cracking and bleeding and being very very painful. I am sure someone on this forum has had this problem and knows exactly how to get rid of the callus.

He has tried intermittently using callus scrubs and pumice stones but the callus is way thick and dry.

Questions- What is a really good callus softener that really works?

I have read that we should soak the callus and then scrub it off with pumice stone or some such and then coat it with callus softener, place saran wrap on top and then put on a sock and leave it all night and scrub it again in the morning?

Please help us to solve this debilitating problem. TIA


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

The best thing for removing dead, dry, cracked and hard skin on your feet is fine grain sand paper. This was recommended by my podiatrist and I use a standard sanding block and change the paper regularly. I wash the block in between uses. Soak your feet often in Epsom salts and apply lots of cream and wear socks at all times. 

You have to be careful when you are dealing with a real callus as oppose to dry heels and toes. This has a central core which can go quite deep and you may need to have it removed professionally. Also be careful not to mistake a plantars ward for a callus.


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## HeelSpur (May 7, 2011)

My foot doc removes mine with a scalpel.

I use the sandpaper deal all the time too.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Has he tried Cornhusker's Lotion or Miracle Foot Repair? When he gets the bleeding stopped, try a twice a day soak in apple cider vinegar.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I think this is going to be a long slow process! I look at the "normal" amount of callus on my feet that I take care of with a pedegg thing and know I do not have enough "arm" to do this to his feet. I know they make callus softner but I do not know what works and what is hype.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

superglue the cracks shut to help with pain. Thats what the docs in the antartic do, and it does help the pain


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

tie him down , gag his mouth and use an angle grinder 



really soak in warm water and use a pumice stone , a little every day and it will help


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## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

I use an exacto blade to trim it down then use an Emory board to file it all the way down. This has been on my feet. 

On my elbow, I had a case of psoriasis (over growth of skin cells) and after filing I used a product called aqua glycolic. The facial type. After filing it down I put the cream on two or three times a day. THIS HURTS, as its acid! ETA: I didn't use the exacto blade here, just the Emory board. 

I did this on a fairly regular basis for about a year and a half and my psoriasis has not been back in about 10 years!


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## luvrulz (Feb 3, 2005)

Hubby had really thick calluses on his heels and one Sunday, we went to one of those water park places that has a lazy river. You ride around on a float or you lay on one and let your feet drag around.... Well, ever since we did that, his calluses are all gone. We have decided that we will do this once at the beginning of their season and once at the end.... He uses lotion in between and tries to keep up with them.... 

He has tried pedicures, the pumice stones, soaking and scraping with emory boards and all.... none of the above worked as well as the 10 hours we floated around the lazy river. Any vacations in Florida or warm weather scheduled?


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I use one of those things that look like a little cheese grater. Works much faster than a pumice stone. Just do for a minute every few days.


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

Dremel tool.


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## bluesky (Mar 22, 2008)

A podiatrist would be a good idea if you can't resolve the issue easily at home. You can get a nasty infection messing around with extensive callus debridement at home (especially if he's diabetic).


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

That isn't a post well suited for speed reading...

The pad of my left palm just south of my wedding ring calluses bad. Over the counter wart remover breaks down thick dead skin. However, I usually just chew away at it when I'm bored.


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## danielsumner (Jul 18, 2009)

Marcia in MT said:


> Dremel tool.


This is what I use.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Dr. Shoals (sp) has a shaver that sells for $3 at WM with a razor blade on it to shave off a callus. It works great. It's in the drug/supplement area.


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## Mickey (Aug 28, 2002)

Bluesky is right. If your brother is diabetic he really should have a doctor help him with this.


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## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

luvrulez---eewwww!



seriously, for the cracking, vitamin B complex helps for some reason. My dh has to take this every so often to stop the cracking.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Glad that someone else use wart remover. The ones that are sticky disc's --Well I use them on my hands when I have a week notice that I am going to be doing a lot of handshaking. My hands are so rough --fine when I am one the farm but there are times when it is NOT the first thing I want people to notice.


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

I think I'd see the podiatrist for initial treatment and a course of action. If he has lots of fissures he might need antibiotics against infections. Diabetics have to be extra-careful.


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## freegal (Mar 4, 2005)

The Gold Bond foot creams are really good and should help a lot.


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## sirquack (Feb 18, 2009)

I second the idea of water and sand. When I lived in California, I was a beach bum. I was always in or near the water. The combination of water logged feet and fresh sand kept the callouses down without any issue. Now that I am a midwesterner, I use a pumice stone usually daily to keep up on the callouse. The key is not letting it get to the point where you have to attack very thick skin. Think of it like trimming your nails. You don't want to wait until they are 10 inches long to clip them. 
Maybe a visit to the podiatrist to get the problem under control and then continue with regular pumice work will keep him from have a recurrance.


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

I'm not suggesting it for anybody else but I had a callous that was affecting my walking and used a piece of duct tape on it for a few days. I changed it every day and one day it came out. Left a round indention and I can tell where it was but I can walk normally now.


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## Serena (Apr 28, 2004)

um... I broke down earlier this year and took a little electric sander to mine... I need to do it again too... sand until pliable and then smeared that eucerin cream on them.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Wow! DB has agreed to do whatever I come up with for two weeks straight even if it is a twice a day thing (this will really impinge on his romantic life) LOL I doubt he will go to a podiatrist as he has no insurance/job/money. I think my dremel tool will go slow enough to work and I do have a petacure thing that might work also on the really hard dry callus. The dog hates it LOL. I use the gold bond foot cream and love it but my feet are nothing at all like his. We shall see. Thanks for all the advice! KC


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I suggest a callus shaver too.. soak feet, then shave.. 

Just an example I found.. 

Corn Callus Shaver Combo


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

sirquack said:


> I second the idea of water and sand. When I lived in California, I was a beach bum. I was always in or near the water. The combination of water logged feet and fresh sand kept the callouses down without any issue. Now that I am a midwesterner, I use a pumice stone usually daily to keep up on the callouse. The key is not letting it get to the point where you have to attack very thick skin. Think of it like trimming your nails. You don't want to wait until they are 10 inches long to clip them.
> Maybe a visit to the podiatrist to get the problem under control and then continue with regular pumice work will keep him from have a recurrance.


And I third it! Spending time on the beach always leaves my feet soft and smooth. 

Also, soaking in apple cider vinegar, then treating with tea tree oil will help keep his feet supple and heal the cracks.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

hillbillygal said:


> I'm not suggesting it for anybody else but I had a callous that was affecting my walking and used a piece of duct tape on it for a few days. I changed it every day and one day it came out. Left a round indention and I can tell where it was but I can walk normally now.


Sounds like a corn. Caught your attention didn't it.

I can get those with old, worn out shoes.


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## okiemom (May 12, 2002)

pretty hands and feet help soften and remove the dead skin. it can be found at walmart. olive oil and socks will also help overnight.


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

ultimaly he is going to have to deal with footware


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Soak and use pumice stone daily. Keep doing it even after this heals up to prevent it from returning. If his feet are cracked and bleeding I wouldn't do anything extreme. 

It probably won't help the callous but I would put Vaseline under thick white socks on the area two to three times daily. If you don't like the feel of Vaseline you can use Eucerin. Vaseline has the benefit of being very effective and tons less expensive. 

As a teen my elbows were really bad. Before bed, Mom put a thick layer of Vaseline on the area then wrapped it with Saran wrap. That helped pretty quickly. 

I would tell him to watch his feet closely for infection if they are cracked. Of course, throw all this out the window if he has diabetes. If that's the case his doctor should refer him to a podiatrist. His insurance, even Medicare and Medicaid, should pay for this if he has diabetes. Can he apply for Medicaid? Most states have expanded their Medicaid programs due to the current mandate. Won't he be fined for not getting some sort of insurance?

Did you know that Medicare pays for one set of special diabetic shoes annually?


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## Amadioranch (Jun 18, 2011)

We use a small oscillating hand sander. The type that would be used for body work or finish wood work. 150 grit to start then 200. Works wonders with no pain, just tingles from the vibration.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Cheapest, quickest and least side effects...he needs to pee on his feet & hands a couple times a day and let it sit for a few minutes 

It's the UREA that does the trick...look for that ingredient in anything you buy over the counter.

Mon


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

Just be careful, whatever you use. People with diabetes as well as other conditions that compromise the immune system need to be cautious. Anyone can get a nasty infection, other disease or not. He could put on a strong lotion or even vaseline at bedtime and wear loose socks, just not so loose they fall off.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Piranhas.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

LOL you guys are so funny, I told him to pee on him self or only whiz outside when it is windy LOL. The stuff we use has urea and he is already using a modified pedipaws on his feet, will tell him to try switching to the small regular sander. blessings, sis


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

I'm going to suggest what works for me.

first, if you have cracking, use super glue. If you have broken or split nails it works and for cracking skin/calluses, use it.

Getting rid of calluses is a slow tender situation, just like when they are formed. Rub off the outside of it with pumice or a pumice stone. Then apply oils. Do this for days upon days on end.
The last time I had one I did this and then the whole callus peeled off.
I use a formula of 1/4 beeswax, 3/4 oils, (coconut, almond, shea butter) rubbed in nightly for 3 or 4 minutes . Socks and no other special things. It took a couple of weeks. It is a relief when pulling at the callus it just releases and nothing is left. Don't force it, your body will let you know how to get them to come off naturally.

More importantly, don't let them form. Nightly foot hygiene is both good for you and soothing. Shower, in the shower or bath, scrub the toes, between the toes, ankles and the bottom of the foot. Then before everything dries, give it a good pumice stone scrub, rub in some oils, put on some socks. Taking off socks later is okay, it still works.

The only time I really had to fight calluses was when I walked 4-8 miles a day. I would coat my feet in petroleum jelly before I put my socks on, this helped a lot.


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## jlxian (Feb 14, 2005)

I have READ and haven't tried it that soaking in Listerine removes calluses. Again, I haven't tried it. I read it on Pinterest.


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## bluesail2681 (Dec 12, 2012)

Diabetics have a decrease in the blood flow to their feet due to the disease process. This causes things like blisters and cracks to take longer to heal or not heal at all. In nursing homes we are not even allowed to trim a diabetics toenails for fear of causing a cut that can downward spiral into something much worse. A podiatrist comes in and does all the diabetics. On mine I use an exacto knife or cut it down with toenail clippers but I'm not diabetic. There is something satisfying about it, like biting my nails.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Does he have diabetes?


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## empofuniv (Oct 14, 2005)

I have found A & D ointment to help with my feet. I put it on before bed and put socks on over it. I put it on again in the morning when I put on clean socks.

And an Apple Cider vinegar soak really helps. I'm really waiting for it to warm up enough here in AZ to change to flip flops and my vinegar soaks.

And I have used duct tape on my foot and it really did help and took off a plantar's wart that was a real problem for me. It has been about 6 months and it hasn't come back. I put the tape on and left it on for several days.


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## prairiecomforts (May 28, 2006)

I have a lot of trouble with my feet especially in the winter. Dry and cracking, etc. I watched this video a while back and have been doing what she suggests and my feet are reformed!! Maybe it will help. 
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QukR4Nxg8Dk[/ame]


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

prairie, nothing shows on my puter where your vid is supposed to be, can you type me a link


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

DH used to have a problem with callouses. Now he puts Curel's Intensive Healing lotion on them at least twice a day and the callouses are gone!


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

I haven't heard yet - does your DB have diabetes? If so, he needs to be very careful not to get an infection from filing, shaving, dremelling, etc. his callouses. 

My mom is 76 and a diabetic. She has great feet because she takes extremely good care of them. 

She uses Mary Kay Satin Hands - the type with petroleum in it (not the lotion type). She rubs that into her feet really good, then puts a pair of clean cotton socks on. Next morning, she will carefully use a emery board (wide one) on any callous or she uses a pumice stone. The excess skin comes right off. After she does that she will soak her feet in apple cider vinegar and water (she dilutes the vinegar). After that, she dries her feet and then reapplies the Satin Hands lightly, and puts clean cotton socks on.

She has never had a foot/fungal infection and her doctor is very surprised since most diabetics usually get some sort of foot problem due to poor circulation and being subject to infections/lack of healing.

I use the Mary Kay Satin Hands on my feet too - best thing I have found to keep my feet soft.


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## prairiecomforts (May 28, 2006)

sisterpine said:


> prairie, nothing shows on my puter where your vid is supposed to be, can you type me a link


I will post the link in the morning.


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