Evidence-based medical guidelines. Remove corns and calluses with gentle daily care using a pumice stone or foot file after soaking in warm water to soften the skin. Apply salicylic acid (liquid or patch) daily to remove thickened skin, cleaning the area beforehand. For additional care, use urea cream (10–40%) to soften skin and protective pads to cushion and prevent friction.
January 11, 2025

Calluses and Corns: At-Home Removal

Evidence-Based Over-The-Counter Guide

William Shen

William Shen

Co-founder & CPO

See all guides. Have more questions?

Corns and calluses are thickened areas of skin caused by repeated friction or pressure. They are common on feet and hands. Warning: Patients with diabetes should not attempt to soften or treat corns and calluses themselves because of the risk of diabetic ulcers; instead, please see a podiatrist.

First-line recommendations: 

Second-line recommendations:

  • Urea Cream: Softens and hydrates thickened skin. Dose: 40% topical cream can be applied 1-2 times daily as needed.

  • Protective Pads: Adhesive cushions the affected area to prevent further friction. Use as needed.

Professional intervention:

  • Scalpel debridement or surgical excision may be indicated for larger or painful lesions

  • Customized orthotic devices may be prescribed to redistribute pressure on the affected surface.

Citations:

Burrow JG, Rome K, Padhiar N. Neale's disorders of the foot and ankle, 9th edition. Elsevier; 2020

Reilly IN, Longhurst B, Vlahovic TC. Surgical Excision of Intractable Plantar Keratoses (Corns) of the Foot: A Scoping Review. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2023; 113(6). doi: 10.7547/22-04

What OTC evidence is reviewed?

  • For each condition, we performed a literature review to find a recent widely cited expert group guideline published in the leading specialty-specific peer-reviewed journal or top general medical journal.

  • Based on the recommendations in the publication, we identify recommended active ingredients and devices that are available over-the-counter per FDA regulations.

What evidence is prioritized?

Levels of evidence considered:

  • Tier 1 (Safe and Definitely Effective): Professional field consensus or multiple randomized controlled clinical trials showing the same conclusion. Wherever possible, we use Tier 1 evidence for "first-line" recommendations.

  • Tier 2 (Safe and Probably Effective): Individual clinical trials which may be discordant or large-scale observational experience. Tier 2 evidence may inform "first-line", "second-line", or "supplement" recommendations.

  • Tier 3 (Safe and Maybe Effective): Mechanistic plausibility without high-quality clinical evidence of efficacy but high-quality evidence of safety. Tier 3 evidence may inform "second-line" or "supplement" recommendations.

How does MDandMe select recommended products?

  • Based on the top clinical recommendation, we evaluate products containing the recommended active agent with FDA-approved dosage based on price, average customer reviews, how often it is purchased, and how quickly it will ship to home. 

  • We provide public documentation of the active ingredients in our recommendations, using all 32 FDA monographs, Prescription-to-Nonprescription (Rx-to-OTC) Switches, as well as New Drug Application (NDA) approvals.

How does MDandMe select recommended devices?

  • Based on the top clinical recommendation, we evaluate devices that are FDA-cleared or comply with other medical guidelines (if not a FDA-regulated category) by reputability, price, and average customer reviews.

  • We provide public documentation of supporting evidence for each device.  

Where do I view other OTC guides?

Browse topic list here:

You can view all of our published OTC guides here.

Related Posts
How We Make OTC Guides
How We Make OTC Guides