Corns and calluses are thick, hardened layers of skin that develop when skin tries to protect itself against friction and pressure.

Symptoms:

A thick, rough area of skin, a hardened and raised bump, tenderness or pain under your skin, flaky and dry skin.

Causes:

Pressure and friction from repetitive actions cause corns and calluses to develop and grow, like wearing ill-fitting shoes or skipping socks.

Risk factors:

Bunions, hammer toe or other foot deformities may increase your risk of corns and calluses.

Prevention:

Wear shoes that give your toes plenty of room, use protective coverings like toe separators.

Treatment:

Trimming away excess skin, use over-the-counter pads, thin thickened skin, moisturize your skin, wear comfortable shoes and socks.

Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, redness, swelling and, sometimes, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually affect big toe.

Common causes:

Wearing tight shoes, cutting toenails too short or not straight across, injuring toenail, having unusually curved toenails.

Complications:

Left untreated or undetected, an ingrown toenail can infect the underlying bone and lead to a serious bone infection.

Complications can be especially severe if you have diabetes, which can cause poor blood flow and damage nerves in your feet.

Prevention:

Keep toenails at a moderate length, wear shoes that fit properly, check your feet.

Good diabetes management and regular foot care help prevent severe foot complications like amputation.

Diabetes complications can include nerve damage and poor blood circulation. These problems make the feet vulnerable to skin sores (ulcers) that can worsen quickly.

Prevention:

Inspect your feet daily, wash and dry your feet daily, don't remove calluses or other foot lesions yourself, trim your toenails carefully, don't go barefoot, wear clean, dry socks. Buy shoes that fit properly, quit smoke.

Signs and symptoms:

Ingrown toenails, blisters, plantar warts on the sols of your feet (flesh colored bumps with dark specks), athlete's foot, an open sore or bleeding, swelling, redness, warmth in one area, pain (though you may not feel anything if you have nerve damage), discolored skin, foul odor, ulcer.

Diabetes complications can include nerve damage and poor blood circulation. These problems make the feet vNail fungus is a common condition that begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of toenail. As the fungal infection goes deeper, nail fungus may cause your nails to discolor

Symptoms:

Thickened, crumble at the edge, whitish to yellow-brown discoloration, brittle, crumbly or ragged, distorted in shape, a dark color caused by debris building up under your nail or maybe foul smell.

Risk Factors:

Being older (owing to reduced blood flow, more years of exposure to fungi and slower growing nails), sweating heavily, history of athlete's foot, walking barefoot in damp communal areas, having a minor skin or nail injury or a skin condition, such as psoriasis, having diabetes, circulation problems or a weakened immune system.

Complications:

A severe case of nail fungus can be painful and may cause permanent damage to your nails. And it may lead to other serious infections that spread beyond your feet if you have a suppressed immune system due to medication, diabetes or other conditions.

If you have diabetes, you may have reduced blood circulation and nerve supply in your feet. So, any relatively minor injury to your feet — including a nail fungal infection — can lead to a more serious complication.

Prevention:

Wash your hands and feet regularly, trim nails straight across, smooth the edges with a file, wear sweat-absorbing socks, choose proper shoes made of breathable materials, discard old shoes or treat them with antifungal powders, wear footwear in pool areas and locker rooms.

Treatment:

Fungal nail infections are difficult to treat. Treatment depends on the severity of the condition and the type of fungus causing it. It may take months to notice the results. And even if your nail condition improves, repeat infections are common.