Home Remedy To Soften Calluses

Calluses typically develop as a result of excessive pressure or friction and are the body's way of protecting itself from the constant rubbing of a foreign object. Using a home remedy to soften up these thickened areas of skin provides an inexpensive way for most people to clean up these unsightly growths, but it's only one step in the process of getting rid of them for good.

The Basics

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), calluses are localized areas of thickened skin that occur on your hands or the bottoms of your feet. Any time a portion of the skin on your hands or the soles of your feet gets rubbed regularly or for long periods of time, you become more likely to suffer from this common condition. Common signs of calluses include thick, dry or flaky bumps of skin that are generally not painful. Most individuals opt for a home remedy to soften calluses, due to the fact that this condition is typically not serious. According to the Mayo Clinic, you may be more likely to suffer from calluses if you have certain unusual growths on your foot, including bunions and physical malformations, such as a hammertoe.

Types

Most home remedies for treating calluses utilize a warm water bath to do the softening. One of the simplest--and least expensive--home remedies is a warm water soak with mild soap. Additional water bath variations involve adding other liquid ingredients to the warm soak water, including Epsom salts or vinegar. According to Bill Gottlieb, a nationally acclaimed natural health expert and author of "Alternative Cures," these remedies serve to soften and regenerate the irritated skin.

Procedure

If you opt to use plain water, make sure it's very warm, but not so hot that you burn your skin. Add 1 tsp. of mild liquid hand soap, ½ cup of Epsom salts or 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to the water, mixing it in thoroughly before you soak your callus. Generally, a 20-minute soak should allow enough time for the callus to soften considerably. Gottlieb suggests you follow your warm water soak by slathering on a moisturizer or salve containing calendula, an herb known for its ability to soften callus skin.

Safety

Talk to your primary care doctor before attempting home treatment for calluses if you suffer from diabetes or poor blood circulation, recommends the Mayo Clinic. These conditions may make you more likely to experience complications from calluses, such as open sores or skin infections. Other signs that a call to your doctor may be necessary include sudden pain, fluid drainage or redness in the area of your callus at any point during the home treatment process.

Prevention/Solution

Many calluses on the feet develop as the result of ill-fitting shoes; if you develop recurring calluses on your feet that you constantly have to soften with a home treatment, consider going to a shoe center that has personnel trained in fitting shoes available to assist you in finding well-fitting footwear. Individuals who work with their hands extensively, such as farmers, would also benefit from wearing work gloves as much as possible to minimize callus-causing rubbing.