If you love watching pimples being popped, cysts being removed, and blackheads being excised, we’ve got a new viral trend for you.
The YouTube channel Never Ending Callus features one man removing calluses from his feet using razor blades and other tools. He created his account at the end of June, and it since has taken off, with over a million views of his various callus-removing videos. The video’s owner and star says he suffers from pachyonychia congenita, which, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine primarily affects the nails and skin and “causes the fingernails and toenails to become thick and abnormally shaped.” In some people it can also cause “severe blisters and calluses on the feet [that] can make it painful or impossible to walk.”
The user says he’s "always had crazy calluses, and people seem to find entertainment out of me cutting them off,” hence the creation of his channel, in which he removes the dead, yellowed skin that causes his pain.
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While Never Ending Callus has found enjoyment in removing his calluses, dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner, who is the Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research at The Mount Sinai Hospital, reminds people that calluses, which are "thick skin areas commonly caused by chronic skin rubbing" actually develop in order "to protect the skin from trauma, and as such actually serve an important function."
Watch a hot doc explain why your feet are peeling:
Zeichner warns that if you are removing your own calluses, like Never Ending Callus, it is vital to not "overdo it" since if they are over-thinned, it can leave skin sensitive during normal activities like walking and running.
The doctor isn't wild about the use of razor blades for calluses in general. "I caution people against using razor blades as you can accidentally cut the skin and increase you risk of infections," he explains. "Chemical exfoliators like salicylic acid are much safer at-home options because they do not remove as much skin and they work slowly. Also, there are now rotating sanding devices, like Amope or Clarisonic Foot for calluses that I feel are much safer than devices that use blades or graters."
Overall, Zeichner recommends against mimicking Never Ending Callus at home, since there is a risk for serious injury. So watch and enjoy if you're into it, but use a cream, a device specific for calluses, or see your dermatologist if you want your calluses removed.
