Warts

Warts on the bottom of the foot are often called Plantar Warts or Verruca. They are often mistaken for a callus or a splinter. It is best to get on warts asap and stay on them. If you fall off the wagon during treatment, whether home treatment or treatment at my office they roar back quickly, and you have to start from the beginning again. It is a stubborn and very contagious infection.

…stay on it

A wart infection comes from contact with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are about 100 varieties of HPV. Warts are sneaky viruses. They are able to fly “under the radar” of your immune system. They spread pretty easily, especially when they are on your feet and inside your shoes. One small wart on your foot can grow to cover much of the bottom of your foot very quickly.

- Thickened skin resembling a callus or a splinter.

- The wart itself can have low grade pain or discomfort, it can be painful when you squeeze them. Also, if they are on the bottom of the foot standing and walking can become painful.

- Tiny black dots can form. This comes from the virus itself causing your body to grow capillaries to feed it…pretty clever huh? If you shave or cut it thinking it is a callus and red dots of blood appear…THAT’S A WART!

- As a wart grows it grows out, as well as deeper. Again, it is best to get these sooner rather than later.

In addition to looking for many of the signs I listed above, I have a tool called a dermatoscope (a specialized microscope) that helps in my diagnosis.

 

- Shaving of wart.

- Specialized blistering agent applied in the office.

- At home treatments to help out with the office treatment.

Some wart treatment is taken care of with just a few visits. Having said that, I have had patients take up to a year of diligent effort.

This is a new technology feel free to ask about it and I go into more explanation on this page HERE.