A Home Remedy for Foot Fungus and Calluses

When it comes to treating foot fungus, three factors should be avoided: darkness, humidity, and heat, since these are the preferred conditions of these microorganisms.

Reviewed and approved by the doctor Karla Henríquez.

Written by Carolina Betancourth

Last update: 11 June, 2022

The use of inappropriate shoes, continuous friction, and certain bad habits can cause foot fungus and calluses. These conditions can alter even the way you walk and affect your lower back.

Calluses are thick skin layers that can become flaky. They usually form in the heels and the front of the feet due to pressure or friction by the use of inappropriate footwear. They’re an aesthetic problem for many people.

Similarly, foot fungus is a type of infection that, in addition to causing a bad odor, can alter nail appearance. Sometimes, they may discolor and, in others, they may become yellowish, irregular, and fragile. You need to go to a dermatologist in order to properly treat this condition.

How to eliminate foot fungus and calluses

To eliminate foot fungus, it’s essential for you to follow the treatment prescribed by your doctor. Home remedies are discouraged, as they can further aggravate the problem and cause complications. There’s one that’s definitely recommended; it contains aspirin.

For example, the “exfoliating” mixture of lemon juice with aspirin can be too aggressive for the skin (even more so if it has calluses). Thus, if you also scrub your skin with a pumice stone or any other instrument to remove them, you can break your skin and cause cracks and wounds that can then become infected.

However, aspirin is useful and safe as a remedy for corns and fungus on the feet when not mixed with lemon juice or other harsh elements. This is because salicylic acid effectively promotes epidermal desquamation, according to this article.

• Make the aspirin remedy and apply it to corns and foot fungus (pay attention to how you react to it and discontinue its use if it causes any irritation).
• This remedy is quite easy to make, simply crush a few aspirin tablets to a fine powder and mix it with a little bit of water to form a paste and then, apply it to the affected area. Allow it to do its thing for a few minutes.
• Some people add coconut oil for a thicker mixture that’s easier to manipulate, this is optional though.

Other options

A doctor may indicate ointments or other products for occasional use such as antifungal creams in specific doses. In addition, they’ll probably make certain recommendations in regard to personal hygiene and cleanliness.

Once your dermatologist takes care of your fungi they can proceed to help you remove any calluses. Ideally, they must recommend a podologist as this kind of specialist will know how to take care of the problem safely by using the right tools and procedures.

Things you can do at home to get rid of foot fungus and calluses

In addition to following your doctor and podiatrist’s guidelines, you can try the following:

• Stop wearing shoes that damage your feet
• After taking off your shoes, place them in a window or open space to ventilate them
• Use shoe insoles (to protect the callous areas)
• Put your feet up in the air for at least 15 minutes a day
• Wear comfortable, padded shoes that are made of breathable material. And if it’s summer, it’s preferable to wear sandals so that your feet are well-ventilated
• Always use clean socks and change them often and remove wet socks or shoes as soon as possible
• Footpads with liquid aren’t recommended for all cases. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before buying them
• Soak your feet in a bucket with warm (or hot water at a comfortable temperature), neutral soap, and coarse salt about 10 minutes. After this time, take out one foot and carefully scrape off calluses with a pumice stone
• You must do so carefully to avoid overly-filing as it could break your skin and lead to infection
• Ideally, repeat this procedure regularly until you completely eliminate your calluses
• After removing the hardness and dead skin, you have to dry your feet very well and apply a moisturizer. You could also use coconut oil to enhance the moisturizing effect.

Final considerations

Although it seems obvious, it’s necessary to remember that you have to be patient when it comes to treating foot fungus and calluses. If you follow your doctor’s instructions and go to a podiatrist, your feet will recover and look a lot better.

Accelerating the process can be counterproductive and risky, which is why you should avoid using home remedies at all costs so as not to hurt your skin.