What is a corn?
A corn is caused by the buildup of hard, dead skin over an area of pressure or bony prominence. The hard skin is composed of skin cells called keratinocytes, which are present throughout the entire epidermal layer of skin.
Do I have a corn?
You may have a corn if you have a small, round area of thickened skin over a toe joint.
What causes a corn?
Corns on the feet are often caused by friction and pressure from footwear as well as abnormal patterns of walking or repetitive activities (such as in sports).
Uses
The corn plaster is used on the skin to treat common skin and foot (plantar) warts. Salicylic acid helps cause the wart to
gradually peel off. Salicylic acid is a keratolytic. It belongs to the same class of drugs as aspirin (salicylates). It works by
increasing the amount of moisture in the skin and dissolving the substance that causes the skin cells to stick together. This makes it easier to shed the skin cells. Warts are caused by a virus. Salicylic acid does not affect the virus.