Physical Fitness Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for physical fitness professionals, athletes, trainers, and those providing health-related needs. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I have calluses on the inside-side of the balls of my feet. I have tried a few pairs of trainers and still get persistent blisters under the calluses. I would like to minimise blistering whilst running.
Should I be reducing the size of the calluses to reduce blistering when running, or have they formed to reduce the effect of blistering, and getting rid of them would lead to increased blistering?
A callus is an area of thickened skin that develops where there's a lot of friction or pressure.
The outermost layer of your skin is made of dead skin cells. That may sound weird, but it's how your skin is built. These dead, flattened cells protect the living layers of skin underneath. So when there is extra friction or pressure on your skin, your body responds by creating more cells to join that outer, protective layer of dead skin.
A blister can form when rubbing causes layers of skin to separate from each other. Because your cells are always surrounded by a clear fluid, some of that fluid fills the space in the separation.
Do not pop your blisters. Since your blister is under a callus it will be particularly painful because you need to get through multiple layers of skin to drain it. This also exposes the blister to infection and related complications.
With some time you can find out what regimen works best for you to maintain the optimal level of callus and eventually eliminate them completely.
