A callus is thickened skin on the soles of your feet or your hands and develop from repeated friction, rubbing or irritation and pressure on your skin.
Calluses occur more often and build up faster on the feet of people with diabetes. This is because there are high-pressure areas under the foot. Calluses, if not treated get very thick, break down, and turn into ulcers (open sores) and this can lead to infection. 1
The prevalence of diabetes has been increasing (The Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Surveys). The high prevalence of diabetes in adults increases the risk of foot problems, mainly due to neuropathy and/or peripheral artery disease (PAD). Up to 50% of people with diabetes are asymptomatic of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and about one million amputations are performed on people with diabetes each year worldwide.2,3
Tools like monofilament can help to diagnose feet sensitivity or photographic comparison of feet status using the Young Townson foot scale can be helpful in identifying callus risk in people with diabetes. Callus on the feet can be easily treated with convenient evidence based once daily feet emollient that is listed in the British National Formulary.4
The Diabetic Foot Journal
The Young Townson Footskin Hydration Scale for Diabetics Neuropathy
Ref 1. Foot Complications. American Diabetes Association. https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/complications/foot-complications
Ref 2. Malaysian clinical practice guidelines for management of diabetic foot: A synopsis for the primary care physician. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8088751/
Ref 3. The 2015 IWGDF guidance documents on prevention and management of foot problems in diabetes: development of an evidence-based global consensus. Bakker K, Apelqvist J, Lipsky BA, et al.; International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot. Diabetes. Metab Res Rev. 2016;32 Suppl 1:2-6.
Reg 4. A clinical review of Dermatonics Once Heel Balm to assess its impact on callus associated with neuropathy and podiatry workloads. https://diabetesonthenet.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/dotnc92b099e511705f109f5e6b10485e0d2.pdf