Do you ever look down at your feet and think “What is that weird bump and what is it doing there?” Corns and warts might seem common, but can be incredibly annoying foot invaders. At first glance they’re incredibly similar, but don’t be mistaken with their similar appearance. Just kick them to the curb, as soon as you spot them.
What’s the difference between corns and warts?
Warts are those little rough, grainy bumps caused by HPV (yep, the same virus family that gives some people trouble elsewhere). They love setting up camp on your feet and hands most commonly. The simplest way to identify a wart is by pressing it from the side; if there’s any pain caused then it’s definitely a wart.
Warts have a grainy texture with tiny black dots on them; those dots are actually clotted blood vessels and not dirt. So, please don’t try to scrub it away. An easy identifier is the Paper test; press down on the bump with a piece of paper—if it hurts you, it’s probably a wart.
Corns on the other hand are thick, hardened layers of skin on your feet that usually happen from constant friction or pressure thanks to shoes that don’t fit you right, feet that aren’t positioned right or if you’re an intense walker. It shows up as a hard and raised bump often on your toes and soles, surrounded by dry and very flaky skin. It’s got a callus-like texture.
You’re more susceptible to getting corns on your feet if you hit any of the below checkboxes:
Wearing tight shoes regularly
Switching your shoe styles
Someone with flat feet, bunions or hammer toes
Dealing with Diabetics
How to Get Rid of them?
Warts:
Cryotherapy: Liquid nitrogen (–320°F!) is sprayed or dabbed on the wart, freezing and killing the infected tissue and then removed.
Strength Acids: Salicylic acid helps dissolve the wart layer by layer.
Surgical Removal: This method will have your licensed doctor dermatologist burning the wart’s blood supply; no oxygen equals a dead wart. After this, the doctor can scrape it off. While this is a quick fix it can also be expensive and might leave you with a tiny scar as well.
Corns:
Corns can generally be managed with a few healthy choices that always start with keeping the comfort of your feet at the forefront.
Better wiggle room: Start wearing shoes that allow some wiggle room for your toes.
Soak & file: Warm water + pumice stone = smoother feet.
Moisturise: Dry skin makes it a lot easier for corns to survive on your skin. So, always make sure your feet are moisturised with some thick foot cream; preferably urea or lactic acid based.
Now that you know what that little weird bump is, please—stop wearing those sneakers and heels that are too tight for your feet. Your feet are definitely worth more.