There are several possible causes for having calluses, or hard lumps of skin on the bottom of your feet. One cause may be a plantar wart. This is a virus that lives in your skin and disrupts the superficial tissue layer of the bottom of the foot. This can be painful and they may devlop dark spots in the callus. Another cause is a porokeratoma or a clogged sweat gland. This is similar to an IPK (intractable plantar keratoma) as they both have a small nucleated pit in the callus. Both of these can also be very painful. To be sure of the cause of the callus, it needs to be debrided (painlessly trimming the top layers with a scalpel) to reveal the tissue underneath. Once the cause of the callus is determined, treatment will then begin. Some people can have calluses at the ball of the foot because they no longer have adequate fat padding to cushion the area. This can be treated with padding and inserts. Treatment for calluses in diabetics is very important because you may have a wound developing underneath that you cannot see. If you suffer from calluses or any other foot and/or ankle condition, please call us at 972-542-2155.