The 10 Best Electric Callus Removers
Special Honors
PediSmuter Professional The PediSmuter Professional allows nail technicians to safely shave and smooth away dry skin, calluses, corns, warts and more in a few minutes. It boasts a comfortable handle that makes it easy to maneuver, and high and low settings so you can tailor your treatment to your client's needs. It's effective on very hardened and callused feet and comes with three removable, disposable grit pads for germ-free service. nailsuperstore.com
Baby Foot Original Baby Foot Original is an exfoliating, one-hour treatment similar to a chemical peel containing 16 natural extracts formulated to exfoliate and moisturize. It also includes a small amount of salicylic acid to soften your skin and induce peeling. If you're dealing with stubborn calluses, using a treatment like this can help prime your feet for electric removal. Just be sure to give your skin some time to breathe and recover between treatments. babyfoot.com
Gehwol Med Callus Cream Those who experience relentless calluses that consistently return to specific spots might want to combine their electric remover with something like this cream from Gehwol. It softens and noticeably reduces calluses within days and is strengthened with urea, glycerin, and allantoin. It also works to protect skin and moisturize it. It's gluten-free, suitable for diabetics, and dermatologically tested. gehwolusa.com
Editor's Notes
October 31, 2020:
This is a category where manufacturers are consistently improving and upgrading their models to have a longer battery life, more power, and better ergonomics, so we made sure to keep selections around that are among some of the most recent iterations available.
There is also a glut of a specific type of callus remover that follows the same general design as the likes of the Emjoi Micro-Pedi Pro and popular Own Harmony CR900, so we decided to bring the Care Me Powerful and Dreamster Machine into the mix. Each of these sports a slimmer body with either a rolling head or a rotating disc, and offers people more versatility when it comes to how they maneuver their unit around hard to reach places. This will likely come down to preference, so we're glad to have more diversity in that area.
Sadly, the Amopé Pedi Perfect Advanced has recently been dealing with battery corrosion issues, and due to numerous complaints, we decided to remove it from our list for now. We said goodbye to the Care Me CM-201 to bring on the aforementioned Care Me Powerful and axed the MiroPure Waterproof due to availability concerns. In its place you'll find a similar, yet more powerful, waterproof option in the Pritech Portable.
We want to stress that using one of these electric callus removers is not advisable if you have certain skin conditions or other medical issues, are diabetic, or have poor circulation. They should also not be used on skin that is red, irritated, inflamed, infected, or blistered. If you're doing this in conjunction with another treatment, like a softening cream, foot spa, or peel, know that this can be harsh on your skin, especially if it's sensitive, and you should proceed with caution. Also, don't forget to moisturize.
December 17, 2019:
Cracked heels, calluses, and corns tend to develop quickly, yet are stubborn to get rid of. While a pumice is great for using in the shower to keep skin from getting too tough, once a callus forms, you're better off using an electric option to remove it. Because they are powerful and can clear away a ton of dead skin in one go, you should never use them on severely cracked, inflamed, or irritated skin and always follow up with a deep moisturizer like shea butter or coconut oil.
We made quite a few updates to this list, including upgrading the old Amope model to its newest design, the Amopé Pedi Perfect Advanced. This model is relatively similar, but it now offers two speeds instead of one and better handling.
We said goodbye to the Masirs Spa Quality in favor of the Utilyze Turbo-Boost, a much more reliable and powerful option. It's only available with extra-coarse roller head replacements, so we'd recommend skipping it if you have sensitive skin or don't need to tackle super-tough calluses.
Also joining the ranks is the MiroPure Waterproof, one of the only fully submersible units available. Many others are water-resistant to an IP5 rating, such as the Zoe+Ruth Foot File, which makes them safe to place under running water for cleaning, but not to take into the shower with you.
The Own Harmony CR900 is also a new addition, as well as the diminutive Emjoi Micro-Pedi Nano, which has a corded design that makes it more powerful and reliable than many battery-operated options.
What Does A Callus Remover Do?
The disc model is best for targeted removal or extra thick calluses.
Calluses are a defense mechanism the body uses when there is too much pressure or friction in a particular area. While the body is just trying to help by forming calluses, most people like to remove them for aesthetic reasons. Callus removers are, in their essence, exfoliation tools. Since calluses are made of especially stubborn and thick skin, trying to remove them by manually scrubbing them off is nearly impossible, and would take hours. An electric callus remover has a spinning head with exfoliation material attached to it. The material feels very much like sandpaper, only it's gentler on the skin. After using the tool, one should apply a deep moisturizer like shea butter.
Not every callus remover is created equally. Some have a rolling tool that does the exfoliation, while others may have a rotating disc. The disc model is best for targeted removal or extra thick calluses. Models with variable speeds let the user adjust how aggressively they remove calluses. Some have small LED lights at the tip of the tool that illuminates the callus, making it easier for the user to see any skin that still needs to go. Since this is an electrical item, it's a good idea to look for one with a contoured, non-slip grip so as to not lose control of it.
The callus remover head should be washed between uses, so finding one that detaches from the body can make for easier, safer cleaning. Some models are battery operated, for easy callus removal on-the-go when there is no power outlet nearby. If one chooses a model that has to be plugged in, they should look for a long electrical cord so they can easily bring the tool wherever they want in the bathroom.
Why Do Calluses Happen And What Can Be Done?
Calluses occur when there is repeated pressure on one area of the skin, most often on the feet or hands. As a response to the pressure, the skin thickens and can become hard. Calluses can also balloon up and become so large that it's difficult to put one's shoes on. They're usually quite flaky and dry since the body cannot send moisture through the extra thick layers of skin the way it can to regular skin. Calluses are not dangerous in and of themselves, but, because they alter the shape of the foot, they can make shoes very uncomfortable. When someone's shoes are uncomfortable, they unconsciously adjust their stance and their walk, in ways that could hurt their posture and that causes further problems.
Using a liquid and electrical remover together can be quite effective.
The skin on a callus is technically dead, which is why one can also remove it with certain medications, like liquid remover. The active ingredient in liquid removers is salicylic acid, which works to soften the dead skin of a callus. Using a liquid and electrical remover together can be quite effective.
The main areas that calluses show up are the sole, the metatarsal (otherwise known as the ball), and the exterior of the smallest toe. They also occur often between the middle toe and the one next to it towards the outside of the foot. Due to the curved shape of these toes, they rub up against each other often. Most people believe that poor quality or undersized shoes are the only cause of calluses, but common foot abnormalities like hammertoe can also be a culprit.
How To Pick Out Shoes That Won't Cause Calluses
The first thing anyone should do who is hoping to prevent calluses is to have their feet measured. Many people don't know their correct shoe size. Some know what their shoe size used to be, but feet go through changes with age and one of those changes is size. Shoes shouldn't fit snugly. In fact, there should be about a centimeter of room between the front of the biggest toe and the edge of the shoe. Shoes should also give the feet enough room on the sides to wiggle around a little bit.
As for material, the tops of shoes should be made from fabric that is breathable, like canvas.
Forget the concept of having to break in a shoe. If a shoe needs to be broken in, then that means it is too tight and will cause calluses. As for material, the tops of shoes should be made from fabric that is breathable, like canvas. Wearing porous fabric is also a way to treat sweaty feet, so it handles two problems at once. Thick, supportive soles are also very important since they can prevent calluses on the bottom of the feet.
When it comes to athletic shoes, it's important that people know what type of foot they have. The common shapes are flat, high-arched and pronating, but a foot doctor can tell a person their exact type. Quality athletic brands design shoes for specific foot types to prevent feet and back problems. Finally, here is one secret many people don't know: the feet swell later in the day, so it's best to go shoe shopping in the afternoon when feet are at their largest.