Your questions answered

A corn is removed by reducing the hard skin around it with sterile instruments and then lifting out the central core, which is the part pressing into the tissue underneath. It is not painful and takes a few minutes once the skin has been softened. At home you can soak the foot, file the surface skin lightly and moisturise daily, but the core sits deeper than a file can safely reach, so home filing eases a corn rather than removing it.

It is best not to. Medicated corn plasters use salicylic acid, which cannot tell the difference between hard skin and the healthy skin around it, so it can burn through and leave an open wound. Blades and razors carry the same risk. If you have diabetes, poor circulation or take blood thinners, do not attempt corn removal at home at all.

Relief is immediate, but a corn comes back if the pressure that built it is still there. With footwear changes and a daily urea-based cream, most people go six to ten weeks between visits, and some go considerably longer.

A callus is a broad, flat patch of thickened skin, usually on the ball of the foot or the heel. A corn is denser and smaller, with a central core that points inwards, which is why it hurts far more than its size suggests.

Routine foot care covers the everyday things that keep feet comfortable: cutting and thinning toenails that have grown thick or hard to reach, clearing nail folds to help prevent ingrown nails, reducing hard skin and callus, removing corns, checking the skin for problems, and giving advice on footwear and daily care. Anything that needs medical treatment, such as an infection or a wound that is not healing, is referred to your GP.

Neither. Deborah Crowley is a foot health practitioner, qualified by the professional register for foot health care, and she is licensed to carry out diabetic foot checks. Many people search for a chiropodist or podiatrist near them when what they need is routine foot care, and that is exactly what a foot health practitioner provides: nails, hard skin, corns and general foot health advice.

If you live in the Sheffield S8 postcode area, yes. Sheffield Foot Care is a home visiting service, so Deborah comes to your house in areas such as Woodseats, Meersbrook, Norton Lees, Heeley, Beauchief, Greenhill and Jordanthorpe. There is no clinic to travel to.

Home visits currently cover Sheffield S8. If you are just outside, call or text Deborah on 07828 50 24 70 and she will tell you honestly whether she can help or point you towards someone who can.

Deborah arrives with everything she needs, including sterilised instruments and a clean protective covering for the floor. The first few minutes are a short chat about your general health, any medication and what is bothering you. Then you sit in your own chair while she works: nails first as a rule, then hard skin, callus and any corns, finishing with advice on footwear and daily care. You can add a warm foot soak with gentle exfoliation for £8, which adds about 20 minutes.

Nail care takes about 30 minutes, callus and corn reduction about 40 minutes, a diabetic foot health check about 45 minutes and a full treatment about 50 minutes. Add roughly 20 minutes if you choose the foot soak.

Very little. A chair with a bit of space in front of it is ideal, and clean, dry feet help, though there is no need to soak them beforehand unless you want to. Have any medication details to hand, especially if you have diabetes or take blood thinners.

You are given an arrival window rather than an exact minute. Deborah walks between appointments in S8, so she leaves proper walking time between visits and never rushes the person before you.

Deborah asks for at least 48 hours notice. Send a request through the booking page or call and text her on 07828 50 24 70.

Most people book every six to ten weeks. Deborah suggests an interval that suits your feet rather than a fixed schedule, and many clients book the next visit at the end of the current one.

Nail care and trimming is £20, callus and corn reduction is £25, a diabetic foot health check is £30 and a full treatment is £35. Those prices are for the visit without the optional warm foot soak, which adds £8. There is no travel charge inside S8.

Yes. The diabetic foot health check is a check rather than a treatment. Deborah reviews circulation, sensation, skin and nails, then explains clearly what she has found and when to speak to your GP or diabetes team.