Corneal thickness
The thickness of the cornea is subject to considerable variations from body part to body part and from person to person. Cell layers between 12 and 200 are considered normal. The corneal layer is usually thickest on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands, very thin, for example, on the inner sides of the arms.
Under certain influences, the cornea can become very thick. Mainly due to permanent strong mechanical stress, friction or pressure, the skin forms more keratinocytes (i.e. corneocytes) than usual. This phenomenon is known as horny callosity or cornea.
Sometimes these calluses can be desired (on the fingertips they can prevent pain for guitar players) or they can be perceived as very unaesthetic. These localized thickenings (hyperkeratoses) can be removed with the help of various aids (for example, corneal planing, pumice stones or certain horn-removing agents such as salicylates) to achieve a permanent result, but the external stimulus causing them should also be stopped or at least reduced. Why some people are more prone to a thick cornea than others is not yet clear.
Inflammation of the cornea
The thickening of the cornea is ultimately caused by a tiny inflammation of the skin. It reacts to mechanical stress, friction or pressure at this affected area with a protective mechanism. This leads to chronic traumatic dermatitis, which manifests itself by stimulating the corneal cells in the epidermis (corneocytes or keratinocytes) to produce more corneal cells.
If a thickened cornea persists for a long period of time, it can also cause a blister to form under this thick layer, which can be accompanied by a real, pronounced inflammation and thus also massive pain. More often, the cornea is “only” a cosmetic problem, which, however, often bothers those affected so much that they want to have the cornea removed (or have it removed). There are various possibilities for this.
Which of these is ultimately used depends on how pronounced the thickening of the cornea is and on which method the “patient” prefers. First of all, it is important to be aware of the fact that the cornea cannot be removed overnight in the long term with any of the described measures. In order to get a rough idea in advance, one should assume that the removal of the cornea will take about as long as its formation, i.e. possibly several weeks.
Corneas usually develop in dry skin that is exposed to increased mechanical irritation. In the long term, the formation of calluses on the foot can be counteracted by sufficient moisture. Even the compensation of a possible incorrect strain caused by a foot malposition or by unsuitable footwear can already reduce the development of calluses.
However, if the cornea is already formed, there are various options for its removal. On the one hand, foot baths can restore some moisture to dry skin. Additives such as certain salts or oils can have a supporting effect.
For example, salt dissolved in water with a concentration of one tenth or more not only has a cleansing and germicidal effect but also restores moisture to the affected skin. Various oils can also have this effect. In addition, a footbath with urea can help the skin to store moisture better in the long term.
However, foot baths should not last longer than a quarter of an hour, otherwise the skin becomes too soft and healthy skin can easily be injured when the calluses are subsequently removed. Particular caution is advised for diabetics: they should dry their feet again after just a few minutes, as they generally have an increased risk of injury. After the footbath, the feet should be well dried.
The spaces between the toes should also no longer be wet in order to prevent additional injuries caused by subsequent rubbing.For the actual removal of the cornea there are a variety of tools, which are strongly courted by the respective manufacturers. Finally, the chosen instrument should not be too sharp-edged or coarse-grained, since the skin has been softened considerably by the previous footbath and can therefore be more easily injured. A good option is usually the conventional pumice stone.
With this, the callus on the ball of the foot or the heel, which is perceived as annoying, can usually be well sanded off. Callus planes can also be used. However, special care should be taken because of the curved blade.
Diabetics should not use them. Special corneal sponges can also be used for sensitive skin. No matter which method is used, however, care should always be taken not to remove too much cornea.
On the one hand, this can lead to injuries to the healthy skin underneath the cornea, on the other hand, the affected area will only develop more cornea again as a reaction of the body. It is best to remove just enough cornea to avoid pain at the treated area. If this is the case, too much cornea has been removed.
