Common Foot Conditions

A hard corn is a small patch of thickened, dead skin with a small plug of skin in the centre. Often caused by poorly fitting shoes. Corns can be very painful.

Verrucas are warts on the soles of your feet. They are caused  by the human papilloma virus (HPV). They may have tiny black dots in the centre which are blood capillaries and can be painful when you put weight on them.  if you have clusters of verrucas, they can fuse together. These are called mosaic warts.  

Callus is an area of thickened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction and/or pressure. Calluses are most often found on feet because of frequent walking and incorrectly fitting footwear. 

Athlete's foot is a common fungal infection that affects the feet. Often starting between the toes, symptoms are itchy, white patches between the toes, red, sore flaky patches on the feet, the skin may crack and bleed. If left untreated it can spread across the foot. 

An ingrown toenail develops when the sides of the toenail grow into the surrounding skin. The nail curls and pierces the skin, which becomes red, swollen and tender.  Left untreated it can become infected. The big toe is often affected, either on one or both sides

Fungal nail infection occurs from the overgrowth of fungi in, under, or on the nail. Fungi thrive in warm, moist environments, therefore commonly effects toe nails due to wearing shoes. 

Seed corns are clusters of tiny corns that can be very tender if they are on a weight-bearing part of the foot. 

A soft corn has a much thinner surface than a hard corn, it appears whitish and rubbery, and usually occurs between the toes. 

The most common cause of thickened toenails is fungal nail infection. As we get older the body is not as able to renew itself as it does when younger so thickening can occur and buffing the nail can improve the look. There are other health conditions that can cause this condition such as diabetes and psoriasis.