The common wart is caused by a viral infection of the skin, which occurs as a result of direct contact with the virus. When a wart occurs on the bottom of a foot, it is referred to as a plantar wart.

Feet that are moist or sweaty are predisposed to infection by the wart virus, which is why they are often picked up in showers or around swimming pools. The virus can also be contracted by sharing shoes.

Plantar warts appear as thick, scaly skin, with tiny black dots within the lesion. They may occur as small, single warts or as clusters referred to as mosaic warts, often resembling calluses. You can tell the difference by squeezing the lesion between your fingers. If it’s painful, it’s most likely a wart. Since plantar warts tend to occur on the balls or heels of your feet, they can be painful when standing or walking.

Treatment Options for Foot Warts

There are a number of ways to treat warts in the feet, but you should not use over-the-counter medications. They rarely work anyway because they can’t penetrate the thick skin on the bottom of the foot.

Instead, you should seek treatment from a podiatrist, who may eliminate the wart in one of several ways: by burning the wart with topical acid, freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen, laser surgery, or surgical excision. The latter may cause mild discomfort and takes several weeks for the area to heal completely, but it has the highest rate of success and a low rate of recurrence. Also, normal activities can be resumed within a few days depending on the size and number of warts removed.

Schedule an Appointment for Foot Wart Removal

At Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care, our podiatrists can remove your plantar warts using the latest, most appropriate and painless technique. To arrange a consultation, call Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care at the location nearest to you  or request an appointment online.