Overview
Corns, like calluses, are thickened overgrowths of skin that occur where the skin is under pressure. While a callus generally spreads over a large area, a corn typically looks smaller from the surface but can extend deep into the skin in a cone-like shape; the point of the cone in the skin can be uncomfortable. People experience 2 kinds of corns: hard corns, which occur on the surface or tops of the toes, and soft corns, which occur between the toes. Both kinds of corns can be painful, and both are caused by increased pressure from poorly fitting shoes or other repeated pressure on the toes. Corns can be improved by wearing shoes that fit properly and by following a regimen of creams, soaks, and scraping down of the toughened skin. Rarely, a person will have to see a doctor or podiatrist to have a corn cut away.
