Corns and Calluses Corns and calluses are caused by pressure on the skin of your foot. They may occur when bones of the foot press against the shoe, when two foot bones press together, or simple friction from activity. Common sites for corns and calluses are on the big toe and the fifth toe. Calluses underneath the ends of the foot bones (metatarsals) are common. Soft corns can occur between the toes. Treatment involves relieving the pressure on the skin, usually by modifying the shoe. Pads to relieve the bony pressure are helpful, but they must be positioned carefully. On occasion, surgery is necessary to remove a bony prominence that causes the corn or callus. Hammertoes Hammertoes are one of several types of toe deformities. Hammertoes have a permanent sideways bend in your middle toe joint. The resulting deformity can be aggravated by tight shoes and usually results in pain over the prominent bony areas on the top of the toe and at the end of the toe. A hard corn may develop over this prominence. Treatment usually involves a shoe to better accommodate your deformed toe. Shoe inserts or pads also may help. If, after trying these treatments, you are still having marked difficulty, surgical treatment to straighten the toe or remove the prominent area of bone may be necessary. Plantar Warts Plantar warts occur on the sole of the foot and are commonly misdiagnosed as calluses. They result from an infection by a specific virus. They are like warts elsewhere, but they grow inward. The wart cannot grow outward because of weight placed on it when you stand. You may experience severe pain when walking, and can have just one or many plantar warts. Plantar warts are extremely difficult to treat, but success has been achieved with repeated applications of acid to soften the overlying callus and expose the virus. Other treatments include injection of the warts with medication, laser, freezing the warts and, surgery. Ingrown Toenail Ingrown nails may develop for many reasons. Some cases are congenital--the nail is just too large for the toe. Trauma, such as stubbing the toe or having the toe stepped on, may also cause an ingrown nail. However, the most common cause is tight shoe wear or improper grooming and trimming of the nail.     When you first have an ingrown toenail, it may be hard, swollen and tender. Later, it may get red and infected, and feel very sore. Ingrown toenails are a common, painful condition. Any of your toenails can become ingrown, but the problem more often affects the big toe. An ingrown nail occurs when the skin on one or both sides of a nail grows over the edges of the nail, or when the nail itself grows into the skin. Redness, pain and swelling at the corner of the nail may result and infection may soon follow. Sometimes a small amount of pus can be seen draining from the area. It is vital that surgical treatment be provided by a specialist such as a podiatrist that deals with this condition on a frequent basis. No treatment of this kind should be done by a nail technician or at home “bathroom surgery”. Nail Fungus When your nail becomes infected with nail fungus it is called onychomycosis. It usually begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your nail and can often go unnoticed or overlooked. Nail fungus invades your skin through the smallest cut or through the tiny separation between your nail and nail bed. Nail fungus is an unsightly, embarrassing and potentially painful problem. Most people don’t realize that nail infections are extremely common and not at all a symptom of dirtiness or poor hygiene. In fact, most people contract the fungus from swimming pools, showers, locker rooms, salons, or simply by wearing closed-in footwear. Many treatment options exist and may be considered depending on the specific patients’ desired outcome.