Plantar Warts

When Should You See a Podiatrist for a Plantar Wart?

Plantar warts are usually harmless, but they can become painful, spread, or remain for months or years. You do not need to wait for a wart to become severe before asking about treatment.

Schedule an evaluation if:

• The wart hurts when you stand, walk, or exercise
• It is growing, spreading, or multiplying
• It keeps returning after treatment
• You have tried home treatment without improvement
• The growth is bleeding or changing in appearance
• You are unsure whether it is a wart, callus, or another skin condition
• It is affecting your normal activities
• You would simply prefer to have it professionally treated

Contact our office before attempting home treatment if you have diabetes, poor circulation, neuropathy, a weakened immune system, or another condition that may affect healing

What Are Plantar Warts?

Plantar warts are rough skin growths that develop on the bottoms of the feet. They are caused by certain strains of human papillomavirus, or HPV, that enter the skin through tiny cuts, cracks, or weakened areas.

Because plantar warts frequently develop on weight-bearing areas, pressure from standing and walking can push them inward beneath a layer of thickened skin.

A plantar wart may appear as:

• A hard, flat, or rough growth
• A thickened area that resembles a callus
• A cluster of smaller growths
• Tiny black pinpoints within the growth
• An area where the normal lines of the skin are interrupted
• A tender or painful spot on the heel or ball of the foot

The small black dots sometimes called “wart seeds” are not seeds. They are tiny clotted blood vessels within the wart.

Can You Treat a Plantar Wart at Home?

Some small plantar warts may respond to over-the-counter treatment, but improvement can take time. It can also be difficult to tell the difference between a plantar wart, callus, corn, or another type of skin growth.

Do not cut, dig into, pick at, or attempt to burn the wart. These methods can cause bleeding, infection, scarring, and further spread.

To help prevent plantar warts from spreading:

• Avoid touching or picking at the wart
• Wash your hands after applying treatment
• Do not share nail files, pumice stones, shoes, socks, or towels
• Do not use the same tools on the wart and healthy skin
• Wear sandals in public showers, locker rooms, and pool areas
• Keep your feet clean and dry

Schedule an appointment if the wart is painful, persistent, spreading, or not improving with home treatment.