Plantar Wart Treatment
A rough, tender spot on the bottom of your foot may be more than a callus. Plantar warts are skin growths caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and can become uncomfortable when pressure from standing or walking pushes them inward.
At Brazos Foot & Ankle, we can evaluate suspicious growths and recommend treatment when a plantar wart is painful, persistent, or spreading.
What Does a Plantar Wart Look Like?
Plantar warts typically develop on weight-bearing areas of the foot.
Signs may include:
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A rough or grainy growth
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Thickened skin over the area
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Tiny dark dots within the lesion
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Tenderness when standing or walking
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A disruption in the normal skin lines
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Additional nearby lesions if the wart spreads
Warts and calluses can sometimes look similar, so professional evaluation can help determine what you're dealing with.
How Do Plantar Warts Develop?
The virus enters through small breaks in the skin. Exposure may occur in communal areas where people frequently walk barefoot, although not everyone exposed to the virus develops a wart.
Picking or cutting a wart can irritate the area and potentially contribute to spreading.
Treatment for Plantar Warts
Some warts eventually resolve without treatment, but others persist, multiply, or become painful.
Treatment options vary according to the size, location, number of lesions, previous treatments, and your overall health.
Your podiatrist can discuss appropriate therapies and what to expect during treatment. More than one treatment may sometimes be necessary.
Should You Use an Over-the-Counter Wart Remover?
Over-the-counter products are available, but they aren't appropriate for everyone.
People with diabetes, neuropathy, poor circulation, or uncertainty about whether a lesion is actually a wart should seek professional advice before applying treatments that can damage surrounding skin.
When Should You See a Podiatrist?
Seek care when a lesion hurts, bleeds, changes appearance, spreads, repeatedly returns, or doesn't respond to appropriate home treatment.
Get Back to Comfortable Steps
A plantar wart in the wrong spot can make every step uncomfortable.
At Brazos Foot & Ankle, we'll evaluate the lesion and help determine the appropriate treatment.
Schedule an appointment today for professional plantar wart evaluation and treatment.
