Why do corns and calluses come back even with regular foot care? — Cream-Balm for Corns and Calluses, 10 g-HealerCosmetics

Corns and calluses are the skin's protective reaction to constant mechanical stress: friction and pressure. As long as the source of the load remains, the skin will keep thickening — this is its natural way of protecting itself from damage.

The most common causes of recurrence:

• Tight or uncomfortable shoes — create constant pressure on the same areas of the foot.
• Long walking or standing work — increases the load on the heels and the balls of the feet.
• The way you walk or the structure of your foot — uneven weight distribution means that certain areas are under increased pressure.

The cream-balm helps soften the horny layer that has already formed and makes it easier to remove dead cells, but it does not change the mechanics of the load. That is why foot skin care gives a more lasting result when combined with comfortable shoes, orthopaedic insoles where needed, and regular treatments (foot baths, a pumice stone or a machine pedicure).

If calluses appear very quickly, are painful or are located in unusual places, see a podiatrist: sometimes there are foot biomechanics behind it that need separate correction.