Hard Skin
Lots of people get a build up of skin on the soles of their feet which becomes thick, goes hard and can be very uncomfortable or painful. Podiatrists call this ‘callus’ but most people know it as hard skin.
It is caused by friction or shearing stress on the skin, very often by shoes such as slip-ons, which don’t hold the foot firmly in place, shoes that are too tight or too loose.
However, it is the way the foot works when walking can cause stress on certain areas of the skin. The action of the foot is a precise sequence of movements of bone and muscle, and if anything isn’t working exactly right, then hard skin can be the result.
Whatever the cause, the skin reacts by building up extra layers on the stressed areas, and as these build up and become dry, they become hard, lose the flexibility that the skin needs. If it isn’t treated, especially around the heels, they can crack and fissure down into the sensitive skin underneath which can bleed and be very painful.
Reducing the hard skin with a pumice stone, foot file or similar abrasive can help, but will only control it so far, and you must also be careful not to remove too much, as going through to the living skin underneath will leave the area sore and uncomfortable for a day to two.
The best course of action is to see a podiatrist and have it thoroughly removed with a scalpel blade. Never try to do this at home.
When you’ve had the hard skin removed from your foot, the feeling is often described as being like “walking on air” as the nerve endings in the skin which have been dulled suddenly spring back into life. The feet feel fresh and light and deeply pleasurable!
Give me a call on 07510 313801 and make an appointment, and as well as trimming your nails and giving you an overall foot-health assessment, I’ll get rid of the hard skin for you.