Warts
Wart Specialists
Foot warts can be painful, frustrating, and even embarrassing, but you don’t have to live with them. At Eastside Podiatry PLLC in St. Clair Shores and Fraser, Michigan, our team offers safe, effective treatments to remove plantar warts and help you walk comfortably again.
Warts Q & A
What exactly are warts?
Warts are small, rough growths caused by a viral infection. When they develop on the bottom of your feet or heels, they’re called plantar warts, and they can make walking uncomfortable.
What are some signs you might have plantar warts?
If you experience or notice any of the following on your feels or bottoms of your feet, you may have a plantar wart:
- Tenderness and pain when walking or standing
- Skin callusing and hardening
- Small, clotted blood vessels gathered around a raised growth
Because they bear weight, plantar warts sometimes grow inward under calluses. In this case, you’ll notice a small hole in the center of the callus.
While plantar warts sometimes resolve on their own, you should see a podiatrist if:
- Home remedies have had no effect
- It’s interfering with your everyday activities
- You have diabetes or poor feeling in your feet
- You’re immunocompromised
- It’s bleeding or changing in color or appearance
You should also consider medical intervention if you’re not sure whether or not your lesion is actually a wart.
How do you get plantar warts?
Plantar warts happen when the human papillomavirus (HPV) infiltrates your skin through tiny cuts, breaks, or weak spots.
Plantar warts are caused by certain strains of HPV (human papillomavirus). They thrive in warm, damp environments, like locker rooms, saunas, and swimming pools, which is why walking barefoot in these areas increases your risk.
It’s also easy to spread the virus to different parts of your body if you touch the wart. If you have a wart, you can avoid spreading it by:
- Not touching it directly
- Washing your hands immediately if you touch it directly
- Resisting the urge to pick at or scratch it
Also, if you use nail clippers, emery boards, or pumice stones, make sure to have separate sets for your infected skin.
How do you treat plantar warts?
Eastside Podiatry PLLC treats plantar warts using several different strategies, including:
- Surgical excision
- Freezing the wart off with liquid nitrogen
- Burning and removing the wart with laser surgery
For a less immediate treatment, the practice can also prescribe you topical medications like salicylic acid. These types of medications progressively remove layers of warts.
Don’t let foot warts slow you down. With today’s advanced treatments, relief is possible — and our team is here to help you every step of the way. Call Eastside Podiatry PLLC or schedule an appointment online today.
Faq...
- – A rough, grainy lesion on the sole of the foot
- – Tiny black dots (clotted blood vessels) in the center
- – Pain or tenderness when walking or standing
- – Thickened skin over the lesion, resembling a callus
Yes. If your wart is painful, persistent, or not responding to over-the-counter treatments, a podiatrist can offer more effective, targeted care to remove it and prevent recurrence.
Treatment duration varies. Some warts respond within a few weeks, while others may require multiple sessions over several months, especially if they’re large or deep-rooted.