Corns and calluses are areas of thickened, hardened skin that develop from repeated pressure or friction, usually on the feet. Footwear is often a major problem and trying to get people to rethink which shoes to buy is very difficult.

Corns are smaller, often round, and usually form on toes. They can be painful when pressed.

Corns are an extension of callous where the process goes further to make a hard dense area in the callous. This usually causes some pain as the corn forms a conical structure, the point of which is digging in to the underlying skin (dermis) which is where the nerve endings are.

Calluses are larger, flatter, and usually form on the bottom or sides of the feet. They’re typically not painful.

There are other causes of callous such as a congenital problem (genetic) and acquired medical problems, such as thyroid deficiency and the menopause.