Calluses are often found on the hands and feet of people of all ages. They are formed when an object, such as a shoe or a tool, rubs against a person’s foot or the bottom of a person’s hand. The skin in the affected area becomes thick and hard to protect itself from further damage. As a result of the hardened skin, a callus is formed. There are several ways to remove calluses, some area extremely easy and pain-free and some require a skilled hand.
The quickest way to get rid of calluses is to shave off of the affected area using a callus shaver. Fill a tub with warm water and let the callused area soak for about 20 minutes. Some people claim that adding some baking soda to the warm water makes the calluses soften even more quickly than soaking them in water alone. It is easy to tell if the callused area has softened because it will turn white in color.
In order to effectively remove calluses by the shaving method, it is important to purchase a callus shaver. Once the skin is moist and the callus is soft, pull the shaver across the callus. A shaver designed to work on calluses will only remove a thin layer of dead skin at a time. Be sure not to take off too muck skin or cause damage to the healthy skin under the callus. After the dead skin is removed, the area can be smoothed using a quick back and forth motion of a pumice stone and moisturize.
If shaving the calluses off seems too severe, there are other methods to remove calluses. For example, the callused area can be moistened. Then the area can be exfoliated with a pumice stone alone. After the dead skin rubs off, it is important to moisturize the area with a heavy moisturizer or aloe vera gel.
Sometimes a good moisturizer or elixir is the only thing that is needed. There are elixirs that include kava root, alpha hydroxyl, fruit acids, and other botanicals. Rubbing the elixir on the entire hand or foot may work wonders. The acids remove the dead skin, while the other botanicals moisturize and prevent the calluses from reoccurring.
There are at-home callus kits that are effective at removing calluses, as well. They can be purchased at any beauty supply store and in most drug stores. These kits usually include a pumice stone, a file, and some moisturizer. In addition, there are some pumice pads that are disposable after each use, keeping bacterial growth to a minimum.
