 Callus build up on the feet can be uncomfortable, painful and unsightly. It is the symptom of a bigger problem and is just a part of a story our feet are trying to tell us. There are usually internal and external factors contributing to this hard skin building up on our feet. Have you noticed it always returns in the same place? Lots of questions to ponder.....like, why am I getting this hard skin coming back under the ball of my foot? Why are my heels building up dry skin and cracking around the back? Why do I get hard skin on the end of my toes or under the front of my foot? As we become more active or less active, experience lifestyle or health changes, we may then notice the wear patterns on our shoes or feet also begin to change. Foot function can be affected by muscle weakness or asymmetry, skeletal misalignment, footwear, activity and exercise type and many other internal or external factors. The callus that builds is telling us where pressure peaks between our foot and the ground. Force and friction occur under and around our feet; when this becomes excessive and our body and feet cannot counteract it effectively, our body reacts in different ways. Our skin thickening and hardening is a defense mechanism and is one of the many reactions that can be experienced by us.  For example, ONE cause of hard skin building up under the forefoot may be tight calves! Tight calves will reduce heel contact time and increase the time spent on the forefoot, and as a result, the pressure! A callus is actually a cry for help! Your foot is not functioning the way it should be and the load of our body weight is not being distributed evenly. So how do we correct this? Removing the dry hard skin either at home or by a Podiatrist, sure does feels good! However, it will not be the best method in resolving the problem permanently. By looking at the WHY you continue to build up this hard skin may actually be the same reason why you're also possibly getting heel pain, why the inside of your knee hurts or why your big toe joint has been throbbing the last couple of months after exercise. If you are experiencing a build up of this hard skin it is definitely worth investigating why, instead of just removing the callus every now and then. Just like anything in life it is better to be Proactive rather than reactive! Put down the DIY hard skin removal kit and pop in for a proper assessment on why the callus or calluses are occurring.   Anneliese Ball Podiatrist Anneliese is at Health Associates as a podiatrist working Monday and fortnightly Saturday. She holds both a Bachelor of Psychology and Podiatry. As a podiatrist she combines her proficient knowledge of human mechanics and ability to connect and engage with her patients to deliver outstanding clinical outcomes and an exceptional customer experience. Anneliese loves health and fitness and enjoys encouraging her patients to maximise their health.
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