Why Does a Corn Keep Coming Back Under the Ball of the Foot?
A persistent corn under the ball of the foot, especially beneath the second or third metatarsal head, can be one of the most frustrating foot problems. Many people feel exasperated when the corn returns only a few weeks after having it removed. It’s natural to wonder whether there’s a way to “cut it out” permanently, but to stop a corn from coming back, we must first understand why it forms in the first place.
Why a Corn Forms Under the Metatarsal Heads
Underneath the ball of the foot are five long, slender metatarsal bones. They are shaped like crayons with rounded ends, designed to sit neatly in a layer of muscle and fibrofatty tissue that cushions them during walking.
However, sometimes one of these metatarsal bones, most commonly the second or third, can slip forward and drop downward. When this happens, the head of the bone presses too firmly into the skin, like a pebble trying to poke through a shoe sole. The body’s natural defence is to build layers of hard skin (callus) to prevent the bone from breaking through and causing an ulcer.
When the pressure becomes extreme, the body creates a pure keratinised corn, a dense, yellow, diamond-shaped lump designed to protect the tissues from deeper injury.
Why It Keeps Coming Back
Even if a podiatrist removes the corn, the underlying bone is still in the wrong position. Because the pressure remains, the body continues to defend itself by forming another corn. Typically, it reappears within one skin cycle — about every four weeks. Unless the position of the metatarsal bone is corrected, the corn will continue to re-form indefinitely.
The Right Way to Stop It
The gold-standard treatment is orthotic therapy. Custom orthotics act like braces for the teeth, gently lifting and realigning the dropped metatarsal bone back into its proper position. This redistributes pressure evenly across the ball of the foot, allowing the corn to gradually disappear.
Just as orthodontic braces take time to move a tooth, orthotic therapy usually requires four to six months of consistent use before lasting improvement is seen. Even once the bone has been repositioned, the skin may continue to form a callus for several skin cycles as part of its natural protective habit, this is completely normal.
Why Surgery Is Not the Answer
Surgically excising a plantar corn is not recommended. The hard corn itself is the body’s protective response; removing it surgically can destroy healthy tissue and create scar tissue or even a neurovascular corn, which is far more painful and difficult to treat.
In Summary
A corn that keeps coming back is a sign of mechanical pressure, not a skin problem. The long-term solution is to correct the pressure with orthotic realignment, not to keep cutting out the corn.
If you have a recurring corn under the ball of your foot, visit a podiatrist who can assess your biomechanics, create a custom orthotic, and help you achieve lasting comfort.
For more information or to book an appointment please call our clinic +971 4 3435390 or WhatsApp +971 50 3553024