Corns and Warts

What are Corns ?

Corns are white or yellow thick layers of cone-shaped dead skin cells that are bumpy and rough. They are usually found along the toe bones where the tip of the corn can press against a nerve. They can appear either on top and between the toes and even on pinkie toes.

Types of Corns

• Hard Corns: are compact patches of tougher skin with a hard core.
• Soft Corns: tend to be reddish, tender and sensitive with a smoother center and are usually found between the toes.
• Seed Corn: appear as a dense hill of dead skin. They are extremely painful, tender and more commonly located on the heel or balls of the feet.

What are Warts ?

Warts occur when a virus (Human Papilloma Virus or HPV) enters the body through tiny cuts or breaks in the skin. Normally, antibodies in the blood destroy the virus, but in some cases, the virus can infect the skin cells causing a wart.

Types of Warts

• Plantar warts are small warts growing in clusters on the plantar surface (sole) of the foot.
• Flat warts are found on the face, legs, and other parts of the body.
• Periungual warts are warts found under the nail.
• Filiform warts are found on the face and have a single long stalk.
• Traumatized warts occasionally bleed blood.

Corns Vs Warts

The differences between these two conditions are:

• Corns usually appear only on the feet (cammonly called foot corns) while warts appear all over the body.
• Corns occur due to high friction pressure on the bony prominences of the foot while a wart is not related to friction.

Corn Treatment 

• Podiatrists usually start off with a home remedy or over-the-counter medications or even application of drops, pads, or plaster.
• In some cases, doctors use a surgical blade to remove the areas of thick, dead skin from the feet.
• In some cases, salicylic acid is used to dissolve the protein present in corn and the skin over it.

Wart Treatment  

Some of the treatment options for warts removal are:

• Freezing (Cryotherapy)
• Cantharidin
• Salicylic acid
• Minor surgery
• Laser surgery
• Over-the-counter medication

Authored By: Dr. Priya J Talageri