03/09/2025
🔎 Subungual Corn — hidden cause of toe pain
👣 What is it?
A subungual corn is a dense keratin build-up under the nail plate. It often looks like a healthy nail from above, but causes severe pain.
🔬 Physiology — why does it form?
The skin under the nail reacts to chronic pressure or friction (tight shoes, hammer/claw toes).
As protection, the keratin layer produces more cells → a thick keratin plug develops under the nail.
This mass presses on nerve endings in the nail bed → sharp, radiating pain.
Even at night, without shoes, the irritation continues → night pain is a key sign.
💥 Symptoms
Severe pain, often at night
Pain radiating up or down the toe
Nail looks normal (no redness or pus)
Most common on the big toe, but can also occur on other toes with deformities or tight shoes
⚠️ Why it’s tricky
Patients often confuse it with an ingrown nail and cut the nail edge.
👉 This brings short relief, but the problem returns, because the corn under the nail remains.
✅ Proper treatment
Professional removal of the subungual corn
Correction of footwear & reduction of pressure
Use of professional softening products (e.g., Clean Cure C2) to prevent recurrence.
🤯 Interesting Facts
The big toe carries up to 40% of body weight when walking → that’s why it’s the most common site.
The nail bed is full of nerve endings → even a small corn feels like a stone under the nail.
Unlike an ingrown nail, the nail plate itself is not the problem → it’s the keratin plug beneath.
Night pain = ongoing irritation, even without shoes.
Cutting the nail edge = only short relief → the corn will return unless removed.
✨ Key point:
If your toe hurts even at night and the nail looks normal — it’s most likely a subungual corn, not an ingrown nail.
