Callous under Toenails
and Ball on Toe

Q. A thick callous material has developed under the nails of my little toes. Can you please offer some possible causes and remedies? Thank you.

A. Callouses are generally caused by pressure and/or friction to the area. While walking your shoes may be putting pressure on this area causing the skin to react with callous formation.

Well fitting shoes should help with this problem. Your Podiatrist can safely remove some of the callous, however they will return with additional pressure or friction. Additional pressure may also be caused by deformity of the foot or toes.

It is best to see a qualified Podiatrist for further evaluation with assessment of foot function.

Q. I have a round ball on my big toe. It is does not give me pain. I have gone to a podiatrist and he told me to go get a pedicure. I have gone to the salon and they told me to go see a podiatrist. What is it and what should I do?

A. Deformities of the big toe may be caused by many different things, some serious and some not so serious. It would be best to see a qualified Podiatrist for further evaluation of this problem.