Ever since I was (if I recall correctly) around 10/11 I've had hard skin on my big toe down to the part underneath and it's mostly on the edge (going off of the foot) on both feet. I've tried using E45 cream several times (though not that regularly) and it never seemed to help as much. It just seemed to soften the skin, but it was still hard. Like wet cardboard, if that makes sense. Any ideas to sort it? Would I just have to keep using creams to moisturise it until it's back to normal again? I've used a pumice stone (if that's what it is) to help remove the dead skin but all it did was just smooth out the dead skin like sandpaper. Also it appears a slight yellow colour and sticks out like it's swollen or something. I can barely feel anything touching it either. Any help would be appreciated! It's doing my head in.
It sounds like a callus. A callus will form on various parts of the foot or even hands when there is excess pressure and wear and tear. It is a build up of thickened skin to prevent blister formation and injury to underlaying tissue from pressure and rubbing. Common on you hands at the base of your fingers after using a hammer or ax a lot with building or splitting firewood. On the feet, usually it means you have poor fitting shoes or are walking different from "normal" and placing undue pressure on areas of the foot that are concentrated. From what you describe it sounds like you walk a bit pigeon footed (toes turned inward) and your weight forward on your foot. Unless the reason for the callus is corrected, all you might be able to do is continue to use the pumice stone and lotions to keep it softened.
yeah would have to agree with JayHew here. I do a fair bit of endurance marching, etc with the army and after having some blisters in the past you'll find that the skin gets harder (as they say you never get blisters twice in exactly the same place). It's the body's mechanism to adapt and overcome and as such it's hard to get rid of them. Only way i've managed before... which may be a little more guesome than you'd like is to take a knife to the hardened skin.. take it off completely and then ensure that your foot are kept clean and dry. I kept on applying some germelene antiseptic cream too and that did the trick.
Well on my right foot a bit of it started to peel off where this also seemed to be developing. I suppose cutting it off would help... I can't feel anything in them anyways. I just hope I do it properly because knowing me I'll end up cutting my toe off. Thanks for the help!!!
well if you are going to try cutting the callous off mate, i'd highly emphasise keeping the area clean (so that it can heal and you don't get infected). Use a clean preferably sterilised blade and cut only the hardened skin. The underlying skin will just peel off without the use of a knife.
