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Have you ever observed any hard areas, especially on your feet? If yes, then you may have corn or callus. These are generally the result of pressure (or friction) that happens to your feet daily. These can also result from the protection of your skin from any injury or rubbing.
The difference between corn and callus is that not everyone knows. No doubt! Both of these are not dangerous or harmful but could cause a way to irritation.
Callus and corn are majorly found in folks who stand for hours constantly and the ones with sweaty feet. Sometimes, you will see people wearing improper shoes with ill-fitting, another cause for corn and callus.

This article will help you get a good piece of knowledge about the major difference between corn and callus.
1. What Is The Difference Between Corn And Callus?
Corn and callus are always linked together despite having a lot of differences. The difference between corn and callus is huge. Before learning about the difference between corn and callus, let’s know about them individually.

1.1. What Is Corn?
Corn comes under various types of callus or one of the most popular kinds of callus. Corn is mainly located near the surface of your toes. These are formed on the surface without any hair, and that is entirely smooth.
The surface of corn is quite circular, with a centre that could be both hard and soft. In the case of corn, you will see a centre that is quite noticeable. Here, you will find two more types of corn; these are hard and soft corn.
Hard corn is generally smaller compared to soft corn. Hard corns are found in the hard areas of your skin. It may also happen where callus is already present. You can expect a hard cron in bony areas or hard areas of your foot.
A ruby texture hardened skin on your food with a whitish colour is soft corn. These corns generally happen in soft skins where moisture and sweat are found. For soft corn, the expected area will be between the two toes.
1.2. What Is Callus?
The results of irritation, friction, and pressure on a callus make your skin hard to touch. You will find calluses mainly in your foot and ankle. It may also come if a shoe doesn’t fit properly. Wearing your shoes without socks would also call for corn or callus. Some folks find calluses near the elbow, hands, or knees. A callus is always pale in appearance with a yellow color.
You may feel bumpy if you touch the callus. Calluses don’t cause sensitive skin, as the skin around it is less soft. A callus will always be big in size as compared to the sizes of corns. The width of a callus would be wider as compared to corns. Also, the edge of a callus would not be that defined.
Calluses generally happen if you constantly rub your skin against something for a short or long time. These are mainly found under your toes as the friction is high at that place. Walking continuously with your body weight is another huge cause.

2. Signs And Symptoms
The signs of corns and calluses are almost similar but may vary from person to person. These are:
- You may feel like walking on a stone (hard surface).
- Corns or calluses will make your feet hard.
- The area will look like a bump that is raised.
- Corns and calluses are thick areas.
- The skin will look flaky or sometimes waxy.
- Corns and calluses cause tender skin.
- Corns and calluses will cause pain in the impacted area (in some cases).
The difference between corn and callus is the defined edges. In cases of corn, you will find a defined edge with a circular circumference, but in callus, the edge won’t be defined with not a circular shape.
If you have poor circulation, skin numbness, diabetes, fragile skin, or nerve issues, then you should consult an expert (or doctor) for how to treat a corn or a callus while staying at home.
2. Removal Of Corns And Calluses
You will have to check if it is needed to remove corn and callus. A podiatrist (or doctor) may help you with the process. In some cases, doctors can’t call for the removal of corn and callus. Never try to remove corns or calluses at home on your own.

As it would increase the risk of causing infection. Here, another difference between corn and callus is the removal recovery time. The difference between corn and callus is the recovery time. As we know, calluses are larger than corns, so they may take more recovery time after removal.
3. Causes And Risk factors
The following risk factors and causes would link with the happening of corns and calluses:
- Loose shoes that would cause friction.
- Anything or substance that would cause pressure and friction on your skin.
- High heels or shoes (or footwear) that cause foot pain or discomfort.
- Shoes that don’t fit big toe.
- Shoes not designed for foot problems or foot comfort.
- Repeated movement of feet, causing pressure and friction.
- Too tight shoes for your toe would cause pressure, ultimately inviting friction.
- The shoe lacks protective pads.
- Wearing shoes without socks or good seams.
- Walking or running barefoot without proper shoes protects your feet from fiction.
- Older age people may experience toes, corns, or calluses due to less thick tissues under their feet.
Foot problems such as big toe, hammertoe, etc., could also increase the chance of getting corn or callus. Typically, callus is seen mostly on your feet, but sometimes it would happen to be on your hands (weight-bearing areas). No doubt corns and callus both come out from friction or pressure.
We can’t deny that corns are rarely seen on hands, but callus could be seen on your hands. This may happen due to not wearing gloves and working continuously for a long time.
4. Home Treatment
To prevent corns and calluses or to treat them, some home treatment is really effective.
Using a pumice stone is a great home treatment to make your corn or callus softer. Using a pumice stone for a long time would help in reducing the pain of corn and calluses. Pumice stone will also sow effective results for removing dead skin, mainly from corns. For better results, before using a pumice stone, try to put your feet in warm water.
Use a correct moisturizer that would work for corn or callus. It will help if you use moisturizers that contain salicylic acid, ammonium lactate, or urea. These ingredients will help in softening the hard corns or calluses.
If the cause of corns or calluses is the repetition of movements, then try not to repeat the movement to reduce corns and calluses.
Add self-care measures for protecting your feet. Wear good-fitting shoes, proper padding, and insoles, and develop habits of wearing socks.
Reduce any habits that tend to cause corn and callus.
If you have corn, the pain is quite normal, but calluses will not show any painful symptoms in general.

5. Are Corns And Calluses Harmful?
Many folks worry about the harmful effects of corn and calluses. People think these are harmful and even life-threatening. It’s not absolutely true, as corns and calluses are not always harmful. It’s true to say that in case you feel extremely high-intensity pain, then you may have to remove them.
As in this case, these are left untreated for a long time, and the size will keep increasing, causing some discomfort and painful sensation in the corns especially. In the case of calluses, the size will be already bigger, and without treatment, it will become more large and wide.
So, we can say that corns and calluses are not dangerous or harmful but cause discomfort and irritation.
Read more about corns and calluses published by Mayo Clinic.
6. The Difference Between Corn And Callus: 4 Main Difference
The difference between corn and callus is visible after learning all the statements, causes, risks, and meanings. Basically, corns and calluses have 4 major differences. The differences between corn and callus are:
- The difference in shape. Corns are well-defined, while calluses are not.
- The painful symptoms. Corn is painful, whereas calluses are not painful.
- The sizes differ a lot. Corns are circular with a well-defined edge (circumferences), whereas calluses lack a circular shape.
- Corns are made of mainly dead skin. There is not any clarity available for calluses for such a thing.
7. In The End
The difference between corn and callus is significant and notable. Due to similar symptoms and causes, they are interlinked many times. Corn and calluses are something that many people may have at some point in life.

Regular activities or repetition of movements would definitely help you get corn or callus. You need to develop good walking, running, or movement habits to prevent a cron or callus.
You can always treat corn and calluses at home, but a doctor is the right person for any suggestions. Go ahead and learn more about the difference between corn and callus through various factors.
Read more about Ankle Popping.
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8. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What Are Corns and Calluses?
Corns and calluses are hard, thickened areas of skin that form as a result of friction or pressure on the skin. Corns and calluses develop naturally to help protect the skin beneath them.
Q2. How Do I Remove Corns and Calluses?
Read this article to learn how to remove corns and calluses.
Q3. What Is the Main Difference between Corns and Calluses?
Corns and calluses are not the same things. Corns are smaller and deeper than calluses and are surrounded by inflamed skin. They can be painful when pressed. Hard corns often form on the tip of the big toe or on the outer edge of the little toe.

Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology