Corns on my toes and the dark spot that covers it

by Tyisha Riddick
(Washington DC)

My problem is since I been a little girl and now 31 years old,I have corns on my toes.I never wore sandles and would like to wear them this summer.What can I do to get rid of the corns and spots. Or can I go to a foot doctor and get rid of them? And if i do go to a foot doctor is the procedure in and out? I never in my life got my feet done at a Nail Shop because of the way my feet looks...I really feel bad sharing this but I need help right now.

Hi Tyisha,

More than likely what you have is not the "classic corn" that is a very hard piece of skin that can be pared away by a podiatrist leaving normal skin.
In African Americans, in many instances the lump over the toes that is formed is related to tight shoes, like corns, but it is more an inflammation of skin than a corn.
So if you attempt to scrape these, they just bleed rather than disappear.
The growths on your toes will feel rubbery when squeezed as opposed to the hard skin seen in corns.
The treatment for this type of problem would be surgical intervention to remove a piece of the underlying bone so it does not get irritated by the shoes that you wear, however, I would also say that if these growths do not hurt, it would be my opinion to leave them alone.
Your best bet would be to consult with a podiatrist who can actually examine your feet and determine what type of growth you have on your toes and offer a more complete opinion.
Marc Mitnick DPM