Plantar calluses occur when there is excessive pressure on the sole of the feet because of improper walking motion with ill-fitting shoes.
There is a very thick band of tissue that connects the heel with the toes and balls of the feet. Because of excessive pressure on it, the outermost skin becomes tough, hard, and thick.
Calluses are extremely common and although they do not carry any medical risk, they are uncomfortable nonetheless.
All you need is a bunch of ingredients that are readily available in the kitchen to get this job done.
There are a lot of remedies that are useful in removing calluses. However, in this article, I will discuss the most convenient and easy technique that will solve your problem overnight.
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Things You Need To Remove Calluses
There are certain supplies that you need to keep at hand in order to remove calluses. These include several kitchen products and some cosmetic products. Here is the list of things you would need:
- A bucket filled with warm water
- Baking soda
- Epsom salt
- Lactic acid
- Electric callus remover
- Moisturizers
Before proceeding to the actual steps, make sure you have all the mentioned things at hand. All of these supplies are must-haves and missing even one of them out would make the process incomplete.
If you have gathered the mentioned supplies, here are the steps that you need to follow.
Step 1 – Soak the Calluses
Calluses are hardened skin patches and in order to remove them, you must soften them first.
To do so, you would need a bucket filled with warm water and a handful of baking soda. Mix the baking soda in the warm water and soak the calluses in this solution.
Baking soda is a potent exfoliator and removes the dead layer of cells on the feet.
Keep the feet in water for almost an hour. It will break down the dead skin and soften the calluses.
Wash the feet with fresh water and prepare a solution of Epsom salt in warm water. This salt is readily available at pharmacies and you would not need a prescription to get it.
Epsom salt breaks down into magnesium and sulfate when mixed in water. When soaked in warm water, it relaxes muscles and soothes stiff joints.
After preparing the solution, soak the affected area in it for at least 10 minutes and then rinse it with fresh water.
Step 2 – Apply Lactic Acid On Affected Area
After drying the feet get a lactic acid foot cream and apply it to the affected area. Lactic acid works by breaking down the thick top layer of skin and increases the amount of moisture in the skin. In addition, it is a flexible collodion that forms a protective layer over the affected area.
Apply this cream before going to bed as the body is in hyperactive regeneration mode while you are asleep. Therefore, it is important to apply this cream before going to bed.
After the application, wear a sock so the junk on the bed could not stick to the newly nourished feet. This cream absorbs quickly, and fully, therefore, you do not have to worry about the moisture even if it is under the sock.
Step 3 – Remove the Calluses With Callus Remover
In the morning, when you wake up you would notice a noticeable change in the texture of the skin. The patch that was hard and thick in the night would now be soft and pappy.
The next step is to remove these soft and pappy patches with the help of callus remover. Before taking a shower, get rid of the calluses using an electrical callus remover. The dead skin would fly off like powder, would not be a wonderful sight to watch but it would soothe the skin.
Take a shower afterward and dry the area.
Step 4 – Moisturize The Skin
It is important to make sure that the calluses do not reappear and to do so you need to keep the area moisturized. Get a suitable moisturizer, preferably one that contains shea butter, vitamin E, and beeswax.
Vitamin E provides moisture to the skin while the shea butter and beeswax ensure that it does not evaporate. Moreover, these ingredients are a rich source of nutrients for the skin and increase its overall health and texture it.
Make the application of moisturizer a part of your night routine if you do not want to see the calluses again.
However, if you do see even a slight patch of skin that starts getting thick and hard again, bring lactic acid into the rotation.
Step 5 – Get Your Feet Examined
Every individual has a different curvature of the feet. Some have high-arch, some have flat while the others have pronated footprints. If you are getting the calluses consistently, there are high chances that your shoes do not sit well with the curvature of your feet.
Therefore, it is important to get your feet examined by a professional podiatrist. He would tell you the pattern of your foot arch and recommend the shoes that will go with the curvature of your feet. The awareness and knowledge about your feet would prevent you from getting the blister and would be life-changing.
Step 6 – Take Care Of Your Feet
Prevention is always better than treatment, therefore, make sure you take care of the feet so you do not get the calluses in the future.
Calluses develop on the parts that rub against the shoes and socks when you are walking. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to find comfortable shoes, ones that fit properly. However, if it is something you cannot afford, there are medicated pads available that would mitigate the problem.
These pads come in various shapes and sizes for the different parts of the feet. You would also find large square pads that you can cut into the desired size. Some of these are medicated while others are simply for the cushioning.
How To Remove Calluses From Feet Permanently
There are a lot of ways to remove calluses from the feet. However, in order to remove them permanently, you have to take good care of the feet.
Here are a few tips that would help you stop the occurrence of these hard masses on the sole of your feet.
In case, you are a diabetic patient, get advice from your doctor about using a pumice stone. Use it only if he/she recommends it, otherwise, it would make the problems even worse.
How To Get Rid Of Calluses On Feet With Listerine
Listerine foot soak is a type of home foot bath that has primary use to treat athlete’s foot and toenail fungus. However, recently, it was discovered that people with calluses can also take advantage of this chemical. It removes the dead skin which helps in getting rid of the calluses.
In order to get rid of calluses on feet with Listerine, here is what you need to do.
- Take a tub that fits the depth and length of your feet. The foot spa is the best option but you can make it work with any deep tub.
- Take two parts of warm water and one part of Listerine and mix them thoroughly. Make the solution enough to cover your entire feet
- For even better results, mix the Listerine with equal portions of white vinegar. This solution works exceptionally well even if you have fungus growth on the sole of your feet.
- Soak the feet into the solution for almost 45 to 65 minutes.
- Take pumice stone to clear off the debris and the dead skin from the feet.
- If the entire skin has not cleared repeat the process again until you get the soft and smooth skin
- You can also use Listerine with a cotton ball on your feet. Using it regularly reduces the occurrence of calluses and hard masses on the feet.
Final Words:
We know by now that calluses occur when there is excessive pressure on the soles. This increased pressure occurs due to a variety of reasons, mostly involving your shoes or walking patterns.
However, there are a number of ways by which you can remove these hard masses or even prevent them from occurring.
Our first section on how to get rid of calluses on feet overnight explains the steps by which you can remove these overnight. However, although easy, this is a time-consuming process. Therefore, it is best to take regular care of your feet and prevent these hard masses from occurring.