How to heal up a major callus tear

kozz

Barefooters
Jan 6, 2011
200
132
43
the outside front of my left forefoot callus is completely gone, about 2 square centimeters of it, torn off during a track meet.

In 3 years of barefoot running it's the first time I've lost that much callus, now there's a big hole several millimeters deep with soft skin under it. And right in the exact place where I land first. Pretty damn painful too.

Are there any clever methods of protecting that rookie skin, other than running on grass? Substances, tapes, adhesives, that kind of thing.
 
Wow, what were you doing a 3000m in world record pace!!! I have run on one of those tartan tracks before and they are quite abrasive. They would be ok if you were running at a aerobic pace and lifting your feet etc. If you were going around fast you were probably pushing off more and filing the callus down. You don't realise at the time only when it's too late. I've rubbed a callus down once and it bloody hurts. Maybe just putting plasters on as a temporary running aid while they desensitize might work.

Neil
 
I peeled the callous of the same spot while running on a track. I wound up putting a "plaster" or as they say in this part of the world, a bandaid on it. Took a long time to heal, and stayed sensitive for even longer. It seemed like if there a sharp pointy thing on the road it would always find that spot for the longest time afterwards. :)
 
Wow, what were you doing a 3000m in world record pace!!! I have run on one of those tartan tracks before and they are quite abrasive. They would be ok if you were running at a aerobic pace and lifting your feet etc. If you were going around fast you were probably pushing off more and filing the callus down. You don't realise at the time only when it's too late. I've rubbed a callus down once and it bloody hurts. Maybe just putting plasters on as a temporary running aid while they desensitize might work.

Neil

800 meters. I've been training on tracks all summer, and I know how damaging they are. They can't get through my calluses, but they can dog-ear them at the edge, and then they peel. But dammit, I like the 800, I'm no marathoner. I like to go fast on the track.

I think regular bandages wouldn't hold up on a track. Moleskin might last a few hundred meters, but I figured I'd look for a tried-and-true method first.
 
If you already have a split or torn callous, you know they take a very long time to heal, and the top layers of a callous do not ever heal. Foot Paws are designed originally for dancers who want to appear barefoot to the audience, but want to prevent split callouses, friction burns, or blisters on the ball of the foot. Better than bandages, easier than taping your feet, and no risk of removing the top of a blister when removing adhesive tape. Foot Paws are tight-fitting, and you can put healing balms inside, the Paws will stay in place on your foot, keeping the torn callous covered. See footpaws.com for sizing and ordering.

This product has been on the dance market since 2004, and is also used by martial artists who want the barefoot look and feel, but need a little protection from sharp indoor-outdoor carpeting, or from asphalt. We think that barefoot runners might like it too for protection against asphalt.

It does not protect against broken glass, and doesn't cover the heel.
 
Can I assume you notified the management about this advertisement?
 
The new skin needs protection and time to build up a new callus. The edges between the hole and the remaining callus can be a problem, especially when you continue running. I trim the remaining callus around the edge of the hole with a razor blade. This might sound scary but it´s actually totally harmless.
 
Can I assume you notified the management about this advertisement?
Hi, Peter. I have been very careful to never post anything about Foot Paws unless it's a direct answer to a question or an unsolved problem, as we also despise the spammers who flood the internet with their irrelevant junk. But as the people here noted, bandaids are not really up to the task, not even if all you're doing is walking. For running, or any athletics, you really need something that will stay in place to be like a second skin. That's why we invented Foot Paws. Yes, management here does know about this, in fact we will be running a contest here with a pair of Paws as a prize. I hope you find my answer satisfactory.
 
I would be a little concerned about the wear factor of the Foot Paws. Would they stand up to the wear and tear of running on rough concrete and roads? There does not look to be anything on the bottom to help with this. A member here (Henry) suggested a cotton glove cut off the fingers (of the gloves) and use the thumb for the big toe. Then he puts on a piece of duct tape on the bottom and he is good to go. He says he gets a lot of wear from them and they cost next to nothing. IMO this would be the same as Foot Paws with more durability.
 
Bandaid and neosporin. I always look for the fabricy waterproof type of bandaids. They tend to hold up better for a barefoot lifestyle.

This is what I would do, it works wonders.
I regards of the foot paws, they might work for dancers but they won't stay put when running.
 
What is the cotton finger for? Paws don't cover the toes, and I would think that barefoot runners wouldn't want anything on the toes. Am I wrong about that?

Duct tape is strong, but it has the same problem as adhesive tape, in that if you put it on a blister, you risk tearing off the top of the blister when you pull the tape off. That's not an issue for torn callouses.

That said, Paws are not cheap; they're made in the USA.
 
Here is a couple of copies of Henry's post discussing this:

Henry
ok I have to get help from my daughter take picture and upload. really works well I'm happy wit it.
for now here is picture from recent race I had. I have two layer of cloth and duct tape.
http://events.ryderphoto.ca/eventgallerysearch/16524/393/1/
nice barefoot update everyone, for me my next barefoot race is on Oct 14, Toronto Scotiabank marathon
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/details.htm
cheers everyone



Henry
my homemade gear Id bben wearing for a whi;le now this summer.

i cut 4 finger part of a cotton gloves the thumb part remains, wear it in my feet with the thumb part into the toe of my feet. wrap two layer of duct tape around along the balls of feet. works really well if your running on rough asphalt. barefoot feel is almost 100%. Id been putting mileage on it. really great. duct tape is not even torn. Ill show picture when I get a chance. use a hand gloves that is elastic on the wrist part so it get a good fit, the palm part should fall on the ball part of our feet. you can make a spare for use on long run..​
 
Well figuring the problem with tracks is friction, I tried rubbing vaseline on the outsides of my forefeet, and did a brief interval workout. I'm not sure, but it seemed to work.
 
Dr. Stoxen is answering questions on the forum today, so he should be by soon.
 
Well, the doctor has been and gone, and didn't post on this thread. I guess I'm a goner.

After yesterday's race, a little more callus peeled back. It looks like it might gradually peel off entirely.
 
He might have missed this one. There were quite a few. I'll email Dr. Gangemi, a.k.a., the Sock Doc, the link.
 
It peeled back a little more after another workout. Soon the entire edge will be gone. That'll probably be the end of it, because it's peeling backwards but not sideways.

I wonder if guitarists know any tricks. I bet they have something they can put on a torn-off callus when they have to go on stage and shred for 2 hours.
 
All I can really say here is what's been said - bandage it up til it heals up. But realize if you're getting a callous of any type, especially this magnitude, it's not normal. You've got a gait/foot imbalance there.
 
Callus, thick forefoot skin, pads, whatever you call it... I'd hardly call its existence abnormal after 3 years of barefoot running.

Obviously there's no doctor around who even comprehends the question, but it's a moot point, because the entire side has just about peeled off, so it's run its course and self-resolved.

Moral of the story is, if you run track barefoot, be prepared to lose some skin.
 

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