Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Updated : January 14, 2016 2:40 PM IST
Read this in Hindi.
A corn is a painful patch of hardened skin that most commonly formed around joints, especially the soles of your feet. Tender to touch, corns can be annoying and often hamper your daily life. A common reason for the formation of corns is due to excessive pressure applied to one part of your foot or by wearing the wrong kind of footwear. Whatever the reason may be, getting rid of corns can be a daunting task. But we have a solution for you -- here are six simple home remedies to get rid of corns. You may also like to read about how the wrong footwear can cause a whole host of diseases.
Liquorice or mulethi: A great remedy to get rid of corns, liquorice is perfect when it comes to getting rid of corns that are just appearing. The fact that this root has potent pain relieving properties and is great for your skin, make it perfect to heal a corn. Apart from that it's other components like glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid make it perfect to keep infections at bay and soften hardened skin. You may also like to read about the health benefits of liquorice or mulethi.
How to use it: Take about three to four sticks of liquorice and grind them into a paste. Mix this paste with half a teaspoon of sesame oil or mustard oil and rub it into the corn. It is best this is done at bed time as it allows the skin to heal as you sleep. The area that the corn is appearing will eventually soften and decrease in size.
Lemon: With its antibacterial, antifungal properties, lemon is a great remedy to help treat a corn. Apart from that its acidic properties help soften the skin of a corn and help it slowly, yet surely heal. You may also like to read about the health benefits of lemon.
How to use this remedy:
Take a fresh slice of lemon and place it on top of the corn. Now wrap it with a clean piece of cloth or gauze and allow it to remain for the rest of the night. You should see the corn reducing in size after about two weeks of using this remedy.
Papaya: Raw papaya is another great remedy for corns. Since its juice has irritant properties it helps get rid of the callused skin or a corn.
How to use this remedy:
Take a small piece of raw papaya, peel it and crush it to extract its juice. Now apply this juice on the affected area once a day, preferably at night.
Indian squill or Jungli Pyaaz: The bulb of this plant is perfect to get rid of corns. Not only does this plant have antifungal qualities[1] (that help keep infections at bay) but it also has skin softening properties that help get rid of a corn.
How to use this remedy:
Roast one bulb of this plant and apply it on the corn. Secure it in place with a bandage and allow it to stay the entire night.
Garlic: Packed with potent antibacterial and antifungal properties, garlic is also a great remedy to soften a corn.
How to use this remedy:
Take a few cloves of garlic (depending on the size of the corn), and crush them to make a paste. Now apply this on the corn and tie it up with a bandage. Allow this to remain for an entire night. You may also like to read about the health benefits of onions.
Baking soda: Due to its slightly acidic nature, baking soda helps soften the rough skin around a corn and also helps prevent it from getting infected. To add to that the lemon that you have to add in this remedy also helps hasten the healing process and makes the corn soft and heal quickly. You may also like to read about these beauty benefits of beaking soda.
How to use this remedy:
Mix a teaspoon of baking soda and add enough fresh lime juice to it to make a paste. Now apply this paste on the corn leave it over night. Make sure you do not use this remedy if the corn is infected or has an open wound around it, as this remedy can burn and irritate the area further.
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[1] Shenoy SR, Kameshwari MN, Swaminathan S, Gupta MN. Major antifungal activity from the bulbs of Indian squill Urginea indica is a chitinase. Biotechnol Prog. 2006 May-Jun;22(3):631-7. PubMed PMID: 16739943.
[2] Home Remedies for common Ailments, H.K Bhakru, Orient Paperbacks, Delhi, 1998, pages 239.
