Think it’s a corn?
Considering a visit to the Chemist?
Stop right there.
You’ve probably seen corn pads from your local chemist. They resemble a foam padding in the shape of a donut and aim to take pressure off the sore corn.
A corn by definition is a hardened layer of skin that often causes pain by pushing into the softer skin around and under it. They really hurt!
Some corn pads contain salicylic acid (ranging from 10-40%) which makes it easier to shed the skin. The trap people fall into with corn pads is leaving them on for many days in a row. This leads to skin irritation, break down, splitting of the skin and pain!Ideally you should replace the corn pad daily with a new one, letting the skin breathe. This also allows you to check the corn between dressings, making sure that you don’t over treat the area!
Leaving products with adhesive on the skin for too long can also cause skin irritation even without the salicylic acid (think taping, band aids etc)
Take home message – be mindful of what you’re putting on your skin and how long you’re leaving it on for. Check the skin daily to make sure there’s no irritation occurring!
Come to see a Podiatrist who will assess WHY the corn is occurring so that it can be fixed. Podiatrists will remove only the problematic skin and you’ll have instant relief!
Learn more about skin care here!
