Wearing high heels often can cause foot pain and other problems such as bunions, corns, calluses, and hammertoes. A survey conducted by the American Podiatric Medical Association revealed that 73 percent of women have a foot issue related to the shoes that they wear. Women who wear high heels need to take precautions as well as recognize and treat problems early to avoid not just corns, but other problems associated with wearing high heels.
What are Corns?
Corns, also known as helomas, are thick, hardened layers of skin that form due to pressure and some friction. A corn is a raised bump and is usually conical or circular in shape, and forms as a way for skin to protect itself. Corns can cause discomfort and can sometimes be painful when pressure is applied to them. Corns are sometimes characterized by dry, flaky, waxy, tender or translucent skin.
Where Do Corns Develop?
Corns often develop on parts of the feet such as the sole, or the "ball" of the foot, outside of the small or "pinky" toe, and between the toes. Corns found between the toes are sometimes referred to as "soft corns" to distinct them from the more common "hard corns" found in other locations. Corns can also be found on the hands as a result of using hand tools such as gardening tools, for example.
Corns and High Heels
Corns usually develop when you wear tight shoes that constrict the natural shape of your foot, causing pain. According to podiatrist Stuart Mogul, DPM, pain can immediately escalate to damage when wearing high heels. Aside from restricting the foot, high heels also cause corns and calluses and increase the weight on the area that is restricted, so your toes aren't only being crushed, but you're also applying pressure to them with your weight. Wearing high heels can also aggravate bunions, increase your risk of stress fractures and osteoarthritis in the feet, and intensify problems and pain.
Preventing Corns When Wearing High Heels
According to the American Podiatric Association, you can reduce the chances of developing corns by protecting your feet. One way is to wear the best-fitting, most comfortable high heels possible. Heels should be narrow and snug but not tight. High heels should also be well-cushioned by using a full-shoe insert or silicone pads. Heels should also be thicker to provide better balanc,e and they may also aid in relieving pressure by distributing the weight on your foot more evenly and therefore reduce slipping, friction and pressure. Corns between the toes can be prevented by using cushions between the toes. If you already have corns on your toes, the best solution is to wear open-toe heels to prevent the top of your toes from rubbing against anything as they would in closed to shoes.
Treatments
If avoiding the use of ill-fitting high heels and using protective pads and inserts don't help with reducing the appearance of corns, medical treatments can help. Treatments for corns include the use of foam pads with holes in the center to redistribute pressure around the corn, the use of trimming the corn with a scalpel, applying salicylic acid to the corn, applying antibiotic medication to reduce the risk of infection or surgery to correct the alignment of the bone causing the problem.
Tags: between toes, high heels, your toes, American Podiatric, Corns also, corns calluses