Warts Specialist

What causes warts?

Plantar (foot) warts stem from a viral infection known as human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus enters the outer layer of skin on the soles of your feet, often when you have a small skin break or cut. HPV can even infect your skin if you have weak or overly soft skin on the bottoms of your feet.

Your risk of coming into contact with wart-causing HPV is higher if you walk around barefoot in a gym locker room, or on wet pool decks. Sometimes you’re also more likely to develop warts due to:

• Having a weakened immune system
• Previously having warts
• Sharing shoes or socks with an infected person

Both men and women of any age can develop warts, although they occur most commonly among children and teenagers.

How can I tell if I have warts?

Usually, the first sign of warts is small, fleshy growths that develop on the bottom of one or both of your feet. It’s most common for these unsightly warts to surface along the base of your toes, or along your heel. You can also tell that you have warts if you have:

• Lesions that interrupt normal lines in your foot skin
• Pain, tenderness, or discomfort while walking or standing
• Lesions that contain black pinpoints (clotted vessels)

It’s typical to notice thickened skin calluses over a defined spot on your foot skin where a wart started growing inward, rather than outward.

Do I need treatment for warts?

Yes, particularly because the viral infection that causes warts is so contagious. Plus, if warts start causing you pain, they can affect the way you walk or stand, which can ultimately impact your normal posture or gait.

The team at West Suburban Podiatry provides several solutions for getting rid of warts and helping your skin heal. Depending on the location and severity of pain, you may benefit from:

• Cryotherapy (freezing)
• Laser therapy
• Salicylic acid treatments
• Oral antiviral medications

If you continue having wart outbreaks or if your case of warts has lead to severe skin tissue damage, your podiatrist may recommend surgical removal as a last resort. 

This minimally invasive in-office procedure involves carefully removing the warts, as well as a small amount of surrounding tissue.

You don’t have to live another day with warts after starting treatment at West Suburban Podiatry. Book your evaluation online today or over the phone.