Remove Corns from Your Toes

Corns develop on your toes due to friction and pressure. You can remove corns from your toes by softening them and gradually exfoliating the dead skin on top away, but you need to go about the process carefully to avoid worsening the problem. Keep reading to learn more.

Steps

Basic Home Treatment

1. Wear comfortable shoes. Corns result from pressure and friction on your toes, and tight or uncomfortable shoes can be one of the culprits behind their appearance. One of the most important things you can do to prevent corns from developing and to reduce the severity of any corns you may already have is to stay away from shoes that put pressure on your toes.
   • Ideally, you should mostly wear shoes that you can wear socks with. Socks can cushion your toes, thereby minimizing the friction that can cause and worsen corns.
   • Completely avoid high heels, especially those with narrow fronts.
2. Relieve pressure by using foam wedges in between your toes. Once you get home and kick your shoes off, you can further minimize the pressure on your toes by wedging a foam pedicure comb in between your toes.
   • You could also try slipping on a pair of foam pedicure slippers or sandals. This footwear places wedges in between your toes, separating them and preventing them from rubbing together as you move around.
3. Apply foot powder between your toes. Foot powder can absorb moisture. As a result, the corns on your toes are less likely to become irritated or inflamed.
   • Sprinkle the foot powder over and in between your toes before slipping on your socks and shoes in the morning. You can also reapply the foot powder throughout the day as needed if you sense that the skin in between your toes is getting sweaty.
4. Gently scrub the thickened skin with a pumice stone. Soak your feet in lukewarm, soapy water for about 20 minutes to soften the skin. After that, gently scrub the corn with a pumice stone to remove some of the toughest skin on the top surface of the corn.
   • Alternatively, try using an emery board instead of a pumice stone. When a corn develops in between toes, it can be difficult to scrub it with a pumice stone. An emery board or nail file should be used in these instances.
5. Reduce any discomfort with ice. If swelling and discomfort continue, you can can apply a cold pack or ice pack to the area for a few minutes to numb away discomfort and minimize swelling.
   • The ice will not help heal the corn itself, but it can be used to treat the pain associated with severe corns.

Home-Based Medical Treatment

1. Try over-the-counter corn ointments or drops. Most over-the-counter treatments contain a minimal concentration of salicylic acid, which dissolves the keratin protein responsible for making up the corn and the thick, crusty layer of skin on top of it.
   • One disadvantage about over-the-counter treatments is that the acids can also damage healthy skin as well as skin affected by corns, so if you use these treatments too readily, you may end up causing more damage than good.
   • Acids should not be used by diabetics, those with impaired sensation, or those with thin skin.
   • Always follow the instructions on the label when applying an ointment or other topical treatment.
2. Use a corn pad or corn plaster. These treatments stick on like an adhesive bandage, thereby cushioning the corn on your toes, but they also contain a small concentration of salicylic acid to treat the corn as it remains on.
   • The best corn pads and plasters are ring-shaped. They provide cushioning to the corn while holding in enough moisture to keep the corn soft, thereby easing discomfort.
   • Since many of these pads contain an acid treatment, you should not use them with other treatments. If you need to cover the corns after applying another treatment, make sure that you use a corn pad or plaster without salicylic acid in it or a plain adhesive bandage.

Alternative Remedies

1. Soften the corn with castor oil. By softening the corn on your toes, you can minimize any pain or discomfort associated with it and making the area affected by the corn easier to exfoliate.
   • Apply the castor oil using a cotton ball. Leave the oil on your corns for 3 to 4 minutes before rinsing it off and exfoliating the area.
   • Repeat this up to three times daily.
2. Use an Epsom salt soak. Instead of soaking your toes in a normal water bath, mixing in a little Epsom salt or coarse salt can help hasten the softening process.
   • Coarse salt is also a mild abrasive, so soaking your feet in salt water can soften them while exfoliating some of the dead, dry skin on the surface of your corns.
   • Dissolve about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of Epsom salt in 2 gallons (8 L) of warm water inside of a large bucket. Soak your feet in this salt water for 20 to 30 minutes.
   • When done, scrub the corns with a pumice stone to exfoliate away as much of the dead skin as possible.
3. Apply crushed aspirin. Aspirin is a source of salicylic acid. You can crush the aspirin and apply it to the corn topically to dissolve some of the protein making up the corn and the layer of dead skin on top of it.
   • Crush a single aspirin and mix it with a few drops of water, just enough to form a grainy paste.
   • Apply this paste to the corns on your toes. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing off with warm water and drying.
4. Make a baking soda paste. A paste made from baking soda, lime juice, and water can help hasten the recovery process for a corn on your toes.
   • Combine a few drops of lime juice with a little water and about 1 tsp (5 ml) of baking soda. Mix until a paste forms and apply the paste to your corns. Cover with a bandage and rinse the paste off in the morning. Within 4 to 6 days, the corn should dry off on its own.
   • Alternatively, mix 2 to 3 Tbsp (30 to 45 ml) of baking soda into a tub of warm water. Soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes before rubbing the corns on your toes with a pumice stone.
   • You could also mix the baking soda with a few drops of water to form a paste. Apply this paste to the corns, cover the corns with a bandage, and let sit overnight. Wash the mixture off in the morning.
5. Try soaking the corn in chamomile tea. Chamomile can soothe the discomfort you feel while drying the sweat in between your toes and altering the pH of your skin, thereby speeding up recovery.
   • You can apply a wet, warm tea bag of chamomile tea to the corns on your toes for 1 to 3 hours.
   • Alternatively, let your feet soak in a small bucket of diluted chamomile tea for 15 to 20 minutes.
   • When done with either method, you can try removing some of the corn with a pumice stone or emery board.
6. Dab some diluted vinegar onto the corn. Vinegar is an astringent, so applying it can cause more of the skin to dry up and die, giving you the opportunity to scrub it away with a pumice stone or emery board.
   • Dilute the vinegar by a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
   • Apply this vinegar solution to the corns and cover the corns with adhesive bandages or pads. Let sit overnight.
   • It the morning, exfoliate the thickened skin with a pumice stone or emery board.
7. Apply mashed papaya. Papaya can ease any pain or discomfort associated with corns, and oftentimes, it helps the corn to dry up and fall off faster.
   • Slice a papaya and use a fork to mash some of the flesh. Apply this mashed papaya directly to the corns on your toes, cover with an adhesive bandage or bad, and let stay overnight.
   • In the morning, the corn can be exfoliated again. Following this treatment can even occasionally cause corns to fall off on their own.
8. Use green fig juice and mustard oil. Green fig juice can soften the corns, making them easier to remove, and mustard oil can help kill any bacteria that may otherwise cause infections.
   • Apply the green fig juice first. Dab a small amount on with a cotton ball and let it dry on your skin.
   • After the green fig juice has dried, you can apply a dab of mustard oil with a cotton ball, as well. This should help stop bacterial infections that could result if the exfoliating process leaves your skin cracked and cut.
9. Make a mixture using turmeric, aloe, and bromelian. This mixture will soften the skin on your toes affected by the corn, making the corn easier to remove as a result.
   • Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory that can ease discomfort, aloe has healing properties, and bromelain is an extract taken from pineapples that has astringent properties. If you do not have bromelian, you could substitute tea tree oil, instead.
   • Mix equal parts ground turmeric, aloe gel, and bromelian to form a paste. Apply this paste to the corns on your toes, cover it with a bandage, and leave the mixture on overnight. In the morning, rinse the mixture off and use a pumice stone on your corns.

Professional Medical Treatment

1. Get customized shoe inserts. Professionally fitted shoe inserts can provide just the right amount of cushioning and protection for your feet, thereby helping corns on your toes to heal faster and preventing more corns from developing.
   • You could use standard gel inserts purchased from the store, but customized inserts will be much more effective. Talk to a podiatrist about where and how to purchase prescription show inserts custom-fit for your foot.
2. Ask for a prescription topical remedy. Prescription remedies often use higher concentrations of salicylic acid than their over-the-counter counterparts, and some prescription remedies also use other, stronger combinations of acids to accomplish the same purpose.
   • Acids should not be used by diabetics, those with impaired sensation, or those with thin skin.
   • Other acids that can be used to treat corns include trichloroacetic acid and a combination of salicylic acid, lactic acids, and collodion.
   • Follow the instructions carefully when given a medication to prevent accidental damage to the skin around the corn.
3. Get an antibiotic for an infected corn. If corns on your toes become infected, you may need to ask your doctor for an antibiotic to treat the infection as the corn heals.
   • Note that an oral or topical antibiotic will only be prescribed if the corn gets infected. Antibiotics will have no effect on the corn itself and will only treat the infection.
4. Talk with a podiatrist about removing the hardened skin. While you should not shave or cut off a corn on your own, a professional foot doctor, or podiatrist, is often able to do so safely if the circumstances warrant it.
   • The podiatrist will numb the area and carefully slice the thickened part of the corn off with a very sharp, thin blade. The procedure is painless and safe when done by a professional, and it can reduce overall discomfort while speeding up the healing process.
5. Inquire about surgical intervention. If you develop corns on your toes frequently, a podiatrist may recommend a surgical procedure that can correct the positioning of the bones in your toes. This, in turn, eases the pressure put on your toes and makes the development of corns far less likely to occur.
   • Corns can develop in between your toes when the bones in your toes grow at angles that cause the toes to naturally rub up against each other. Surgery can actually realign these bones, making them straighter and less likely to collide.

Warnings

• Do not attempt home treatment of corns if you have diabetes, atherosclerosis, or any other form of circulatory disease.
• Never try to cut or shave a corn away. Doing so will not help fix the underlying problem, and worse, you will create a wound that can easily become infected by bacteria.

Things You'll Need

• Comfortable shoes
• Socks
• Foam pedicure combs or sandals
• Foot powder
• Pumice stone
• Emery board
• Ice
• Over-the-counter ointments, drops, pads, or plasters
• Castor oil
• Water
• Epsom salt
• Aspirin
• Baking soda
• Chamomile tea
• Vinegar
• Papaya
• Green fig juice
• Mustard oil
• Turmeric
• Aloe
• Bromelain or tea tree oil
• Prescription topical treatments
• Antibiotics

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Sources and Citations

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• Get Rid of Cracked Heels Fast
• Get Rid of Corns
• Treat Sweaty Hands
• Prevent a Writer's Bump Callus

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