I use a styrofoam sanding block to buff off the dried dead skin from the bottom of my feet. It's best to use them after bathing or showering while your feet are softer. It's best to slightly wet the sanding block as well. Sanding blocks are less expensive, more coarse, and last longer than the coarse finger nail files that I've used. In addition, they leave your feet feeling very soft and smooth.
By Alma from Williamsport, TN
This page contains the following solutions.
I tend to use duct tape to splint my fingers when they need a bandage that lasts through dish washing. I eventually discovered that if you put a piece over a clean toe where there is a callous, by the end of the day the skin is softer.
I am type 2 diabetic and bought an Emjoi Micro-Pedi foot file. It has been a relief. I find that if I soak my feet in hot water with a 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and then use the micro-pedi while my feet are not quite dry but mostly dry, I can get most of them off.
I've noticed several people asking about dry skin or calluses and my podiatrist recommended for me corn huskers lotion available at most retailers usually runs about $2 a bottle and a little bit will work.
I use a Stridex pad over the calloused area, add Vaseline and a cotton sock before bed. In the morning, my feet are soft and smooth for longer periods than just filing them down.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have calluses a half inch thick on the bottom of both my feet, the whole bottom of my foot is covered with it. How can I get them to go away without cutting them off with a knife, like I've been doing?
I have had them my whole life and have never seen anyone else have them like this. Both my girls have it too, but my parents don't! Were did this come from and how do I get rid of it?
By Chris S.
Beauty salons and most beauty supply stores sell foot files which are not expensive. The files usually have a rough sand paper on one side and a smoother sand paper on the other. Try soaking your feet which will help soften the skin. Sand the areas of the feet to reduce the thickness of the calluses. Apply a good foot cream to keep the skin on your feet soft. You have to keep at it in order to get rid of the calluses. I take care of my feet 2 or 3 times a week. I use the foot file and sand my heels, then apply a good foot cream. In this way I no longer suffer from cracked heels.
If you are diabetic it would be best to go to a podiatrist to have the calluses removed.
I'm making a correction to my post, I meant to say that beauty supply stores sell foot files.
I was just reading about pedicures in a magazine I received yesterday (Martha Stewart). It said to soften by using a foot file or pumice. "Avoid callus shavers or graters; they can tear skin or take too much of it off, and they can make calluses grow back faster." Maybe, by using a knife, you've been taking away too much of the rough skin?
I have a file that I use on my feet, too. I looked on the Sally Hansen website to find the one I use, but it looks like they've redesigned their line. This is the closest to what I have:
www.sallyhansen.com/
Use the steel side first, then the ceramic side to smooth the skin. I do this maybe every other day at the end of my shower. I apply Blue Goo Cracked Heel Skin Softener when I get out:
reviews.walmart.com/
I've found it near the pharmacy area at Wal-Mart. It comes in a little container sort of like a large pot of Carmex. If you look for it, don't be turned off at the small size, a little goes a long way!
If you try what MCW or I have suggested, and you don't see any appreciable improvement within a reasonable length of time, maybe it's time to consult with a doctor. But I hope that these over the counter suggestions work for both you and your girls!
CVS and Wal-greens have a moisture cream, mostly Vaseline. Put in on your feet while they are still damp and before going to bed wearing socks. This will keep the skin soft and the sheets clean.
There is a thing called a ped egg which will sand your calloses off. It is inexpensive at most pharmacies. Then you need to get a good foot creme and make sure you are wearing properly fitting shoes.
I know I have this problem too. Feet sound like velcro when I take off socks, feet catch on the bedclothes, catch on the carpet. I saw a doctor, 2 foot doctors, and then a dermatologist. Finally he told me it is hereditary in my case, it's a form of dermatitis where you don't slough off the skin on your feet.
I got a Dremel for my dogs' toenails and one day I thought, gee, I wonder. Now I use it whenever my heels are too bad for that little file thing or lotions. (From Lowe's, use with sandpaper-type wheel). Gross, I know, but some of us have this problem of "overgrown" skin on our feet.
I saw a podiatrist (here in Oz) for the same thing and she did say that for some people the regular pumice and creams just do not work. She shaved the stuff off and I have since bought a "corn plane" - Manicare, I think, and do it myself. You have to be careful, but it does the trick like nothing else. I nicked myself the first time, but you get more skilled. The trick is mostly to hold your skin taut while you do it.
Actually sometimes this is a fungus. I know it sounds silly but its true. If you use anti-fungus cream like Lamisil AT it will relieve it like crazy. Then just air dry your feet well before putting on shoes or socks and rub lotion on every night--no more calluses!
Can you handle one more? I joke that my feet are more like hooves because the calluses are so thick. I vote for the Ped Egg and Avon's Intensive Callus remover. I never would have thought the Ped Egg would work so well, but it was very inexpensvie at BJ's so I thought I would try it. I now buy refill grates at Bed Bath and Beyond. I find that I do absolutely need to use the finisher or they stay rough. The Avon cream is so good (and I tried many that I could buy in the stores) that my sister-in-law no longer has to go to her podiatrist to take care of her problem. But you do have to be consistent with it's use. I have a tendency to get my feet in shape and then let them go until I have to start again.
I know it sounds crazy but try Vick's Vapor Rub on them each night before retiring. Good luck.
I used to be on dialysis and suffered from cracked, dry and thick calluses on my feet. I do my own pedicures on a regular basis. When in the shower I use a double sided sugar file. After the shower I use the ped egg then a regular nail file to smooth a bit then I use Eucerin/Aquaphor healing ointment (works wonders) then put socks on. If I don't have the Eucerin/Aquaphor ointment I use Vaseline, if I don't have that then I use lotion with a bit of olive oil mixed in. Sometimes when I put these things on my feet I put saran wrap around my foot and then a sock on.
I don't recommend using anything that shaves thick layers off, too dangerous.
After years of buying everything on the market for cracked heels I found the solution! First buy Tree Tea oil in the health food or vitamin store and apply it every day until the skin starts to thin. Then purchase some Emu oil and apply it faithfully and it will soften the skin and make your feet look and feel much better. Good luck!
Does anyone know of a natural remedy for a callous on the bottom of my foot? It is on my left foot, on the left side which makes it hard to reach. I tried soaking it in Epsom salts. Thank you.
By Pamela Rochelle Woodworth from Sun Lakes, AZ
The only thing I really know for you to try, is to soak in the tub or shower with your regular bath. Dry feet off well. You will have to buy one of those 'ped egg' type things---Walmart has several from other companies that work the same. One layer has a metal file, and one has a pumice stone. Rub the callous well, being careful not to get too vigorous---you don't want to cut yourself and cause an infection. Then cover with a good layer of petroleum jelly, a sandwich baggie, and an old sock. Sleep with that on several nights a week, and it should help a lot.
What works for me is, I soak my feet while in the tub (or in a small tub while watching TV) for about half an hour. I then scrape the clean & softened callus with either my fingernails or the edge of a spoon or a pumice (from the dollar store)... After you get the topmost softened area off, then re-soak in hot water for another half hour & do this again & again until it's all gone.
It's the hot soapy water that does the trick & to stop getting calluses, scrape the area every time you shower. If you can't easily reach it, try using a spoon-edge or if you have a partner have them do it for you. I've found that those pumice stones attached to a plastic handle from the dollar store also works well on both dry AND wet calluses. They also carry little files that look like tiny cheese graters at dollar stores. They work well & you can't go wrong for a buck! Please use care with any type of file!
I am retired now but owned a salon with a partner. We were an Aveda Concept Salon. Anyway, Aveda has a product called 'Active Composition Oil' and it's excellent for anything from sloughing off callouses, softening cuticles for a manicure, relieving sore muscles, a dab for pimples, a couple drops massaged in for oily scalp before shampooing and adding two or three drops to bath water to invigorate the senses.
It's seems expensive at about $20.00 for a 2 ounce bottle but I will tell you that I still have 1 ounce remaining (still potent and fresh) after two plus years and I use it for all of the above! Well, at 55 I no longer get pimples or have an oily scalp but it worked when I did and worked for clients ;-)
In the summer I get foot callouses really bad so I soak my feet in warm soapy water, pat dry, apply/rub on just a few drops of Active oil, sit back and relax for about ten to fifteen minutes, wash again with warm soapy water, pat dry again and immediately use one of the paddle pumice scrapers. (and as a previous poster said, do be careful to not scrape so hard that you take more than the calloused skin off). If you do this once or twice a week your feet will feel like a baby's bottom ;-)
Aveda is one of only a couple world wide companies who manufacturer completely natural, sustainable products and Aveda sources from around the world with indigenous peoples for locally organically grown ingredients instead of chemically synthesized/altered ingredients.
I had this last week only my callouses had cracks in them. I happened to come across a green tin called Bag Balm. It's originally used to help keep a cow's teats soft but believe me it works on humans also. I've had cracks in my fingers in the winter and this takes care of them. I put some of this salve on my feet just as I get into bed and the next morning my feet have no more cracks that hurt. It takes a couple of nights to really soften the callouses but it's great. You can find this in a farm supply store like Tractor Supply. It's just great. Sometimes the old fashioned ways are best!
One more post ;-) I have a cousin who uses bag balm and he loves it for daily use for soothing his skin and keeping dryness at bay but it does not remove the callouses so he uses the Active oil and pumice paddle once a week.
You don't need to go to a farm supply to purchase bag balm because you can buy it at most pharmacies, some super size stores like Wal-Mart and online.
As a diabetic, I have to take special care of my feet. I bought a "stone" at the pharmacy that is slightly less coarse than pumice. Every morning I just rub it on the places where calluses form on my feet, and then apply a store-brand deep moisturizing cream and then my socks. Most of the foot creams are very expensive (to me, anyway), so I came up with the stone, instead. It's safer to use than the pads, rasps or files out there. As someone posted before me, you can remove too much skin and that just opens up another whole box of aggravation.
In the summer, I try to go barefoot outdoors as much as possible, which naturally removes the calluses. Of course I have to pay attention to where I'm walking, but the lawn and driveway are pretty safe and it's nice to feel the cool grass under my feet. Good luck!
I am a pastry chef so I am on my feet for hours everyday. Not only do I work, but I commute via public transportation to school and back. The past 3 years have been rough on my feet. I have thick calluses on the bottoms of both feet. I could wear the most comfortable shoes, but at the end of the night I'm walking in pain because of my calluses.
It feels like both feet have been dragged/scrapped against pavement. Please can anyone help me out? I use to have smooth beautiful feet. Now my feet are just disgusting and the pain is horrible.
What will remove a callous naturally?
By Cindy
A pumice stone (any drug or beauty supply aisle, and usually costing around $1USD) will take a callus off, but it will take a while-it's not a fast process. Have a look at this link about using a pumice stone:
www.webmd.com/
Used according to directions, a pumice stone is a wonderful way to take care of corns and calluses.
I sand mine off with a emory board but sandpaper would do the same.
You will find that using a pumice stone or file for removing calluses works much better when your feet are dry.
I use a foot file from WalMart. In the beauty section, it is about 10 inches long with part of it covered by an abrasive. It works fast and makes your feet look and feel wonderful.
Will a soak with oatmeal help my sore, badly calloused feet? I have callouses on the balls of my feet and heels, as well as rough skin on the bottom of my toes.
By crazy Janey
Add dry milk to your foot bath. It contains lactic acid that will help shed that old skin. Use the milk often and you won't have the problem. It will soften it and make it easy to remove with a pumice stone or scratch it off with your fingernails or the edge of a metal nail file. You can also use sanding paper to remove the dry, hardened skin.
This will be a quicker fix, and then use the milk foot bath often. Adding baking soda with the milk will make your feet so soft. Get you an organic foot cream with lactic acid to use daily. Using the milk and baking soda in your tub bath is great for the whole body. I usually use 1 cup of each.
I would like to know if there is an alternative to expensive pedicures (even at the beauty school here they are $20, the salon/esthetician is $30-$60). My feet are very dry and calloused, moisturizing, even using petroleum jelly at night with cotton socks isn't enough. I would love some frugal ideas/solutions to help me solve this beauty issue. Thank You
Is there a way to permanently remove callouses? Also is it better to use a pumice stone or shave them?
By Nancy286 from Sunset Beach, NC
www.ehow.com/
This procedure is not recommended for those who have been diagnosed with diabetes. If you have diabetes it is best to have a physician care for your feet.
This winter I had problems with my heels being very dry and cracked. I went to Sally's Beauty Supply and purchased an inexpensive foot file. After showering I used the abrasive side of the file and sanded off the dry cracked skin. Then used the smooth side of the file on my heels. Then massaged my feet with foot cream. I've been doing this on a regular basis and now the heels on my feet are very soft and smooth.
This is a page about making strawberry foot exfoliant. Smooth out rough callouses on your feet with an exfoliant made from strawberries and other ingredients.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I would like to know if there is an alternative to expensive pedicures. I would love some frugal ideas/solutions to help me solve this beauty issue. Cindy from Alberta, Canada
My feet get calloused in the summer. I have found that the best solution is a medium grit sanding sponge that you purchase in the hardware or home improvement store.
I have calluses/corns in many areas on the soles of both my feet. I am looking for a home remedy to cure me of this problem and to prevent further calluses.
