Many people, including myself are plagued by calluses and are constantly trying to get rid of them, trying numerous lotions to soften our feet, pumice stones, callus removers, Vaselline, etc. I recently have been on a mission to rid myself of calluses in about two weeks time by following a self-designed regimen based on trying the separate components of this regimen over the course of time, with individual components working sometimes but not enough in and of themselves to actually get rid of my calluses.
Here is what you will need:
Epson salt and foot tub (or your bathtub will suffice)
Callus knife
CVS brand Corn and Callus liquid remover
Corn/callus pads if needed
Thick lotion such as Gold Bond or a product that has shea butter in it
For the first week of this callus removing regimen, I applied CVS brand Corn and Callus liquid callus remover to the callused areas of my foot. I specifically suggest CVS or another store brand for two reasons: 1). It is less expensive than Dr. Scholl’s and 2). It works much better than Dr. Scholl’s (based on my personal experience). When applying this product, you will notice two things immediately. The first is the horrible smell. If you are planning to use this in secret, the smell during application will immediately be obvious to others. The smell is highly acidic, almost like really strong nail polish remover. But, don’t worry because it will go away once it is dry. The second thing is that although this product applies clear, it dries white. Therefore, your feet are going to look really weird and if someone looked at them while you had this product on your feet they would probably think you had some odd contagious disease. However, this stuff really does work.
You should also note that long term use of this product is not recommended and if you have serious foot problems, you should see a podiatrist. The package itself suggests using 1-2 times per day for no more than 14 days. I used it for a week straight during this particular regimen. Wait 1-2 minutes for the product to dry before putting on your socks/stockings. If you have a particularly painful callous or corn, this would be the time to put on a corn or callus pad. Moleskin also works well but do note that the backing is all adhesive and although not really painful to remove (unless you have a severely painful callus or corn), it does stick to your skin. However, it will also provide more coverage than a corn or callus pad. Again, store brand products such as CVS brand are preferred over Dr. Scholls due to the less expensive cost and the better quality of the product. I did not apply lotion after using the liquid callus remover in order to make it work as effectively as possible.
In the evening, apply a thick lotion, such as Gold Bond and wear socks. If you are like me, you might hate to wear socks to bed, but I found this particular torture was helpful during the 14 days of “Callus Mission” in order to keep the moisture in. Each morning, you should use a pumice stone in the shower or bath to help remove dead skin cells and smooth calluses. Repeat with using the liquid callus remover.
In a few days in you will notice your calluses beginning to wear off, and it will look like dead skin peeling. Using a pumice stone, work against callous to wear it down. Apply lotion to your feet in the evening before bed and cover with socks to help your feet retain moisture.
On the second week, use a callus knife daily to remove the dead skin and to help get your feet very smooth. I have always been fearful of using these but Callus Mission called for serious action and this was a last resort in my quest to find what works. You have to be very careful when using one of these and I have seen people take off serious amounts of skin and be in pain with these. I found if you really take your time, going very slow, apply pressure gently and evenly and keep the knife flat, there is no problem. Do not try to take too much dead skin off at once. You should do this over the course of a few days for the initial removal of much of the dead skin. Do this with dry feet and I strongly suggest doing it over a towel or the tub or sink to catch the dead skin.
During the second week, soak your feet in 2 cups Epsom salt and warm water (as warm as you can stand it) daily. Use a pumice stone after soaking to remove dead skin and calluses. Afterwards, dry well, use the callous knife to remove more dead skin and liberally apply lotion. Then, cover with socks. Use your corn/callous remover liquid now only in severely calloused spots. In the evening, liberally apply lotion again before bed and cover with socks.
You will have noticed a huge change in your feet during this second week. Your feet will be much smoother, the painful calluses and dry and cracked skin will be smooth and you will find you can walk with much more ease. The dry and cracked skin, especially on your heels will appear much smoother and during the latter part of this week you will be focused on getting the skin to be as smooth as possible while the remaining cracks heal. It is crucial that you continue to apply lotion twice a day.
After this second week, you do have to continue with maintenance of your feet to keep them callus free. I suggest soaking your feet at least once a week, daily use of the pumice stone in the shower and occasional use of the callus knife when needed. Using it once or twice a week for callus prone feet will help to keep the hardened skin at bay. You also should use a good lotion on your feet daily to keep them smooth and hydrated. If you have a habit of walking around without socks or shoes on, consider trying to change this or wear slippers or slipper socks around your house. The less exposure your feet have, the less they will dry out.
This two week regimen worked for me to help me rid my feet of cracked and dry skin and hardened and painful calluses. The combination of the different individual components together worked much better than trying to use only one alone, such as using only lotion, or only a pumice stone and lotion. If you have severely cracked or dry feet, it is more than likely that you will need to use this regimen in its entirety or using a similar combination of these components. Although it is probably much more time than you have spent focusing on your feet in the past, the effort you spend for just 14 days will pay off immensely. Try it-your feet will be glad you did and you will be pleased with the results. Not only will your feet be healthier and more attractive, but they will not be painful, making walking easier and no longer painful.
