Plantar warts are growths that typically appear on the heels or other weight-bearing areas of the feet. These warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) that enters the body through breaks in the skin, such as cuts, on the bottom of your feet.

Plantar warts are more likely to affect kids and teens, people with compromised immune systems, people with a history of plantar warts, and people who walk barefoot in environments that host the wart-causing virus.

If you suspect you have plantar warts, you may have the following symptoms: pain or tenderness while walking, a lesion that interrupts the ridges in the skin of your foot, small fleshy lesions on the bottom of the foot, or a callus where a wart has grown inward over a well-defined spot on the skin.

HPV, the virus that causes plantar warts, is very common. There are more than 100 kinds of the virus in existence. However, only a few of them cause warts on the feet.

If you have a plantar wart or warts, your footcare professional may try different treatment methods depending on your specific case. Some treatments for plantar warts are medicines like salicylic acid that cause the skin to peel, freezing medicines (cryotherapy), or surgical procedures. Laser treatments and vaccines are also used to treat plantar warts.

If you, your child, or someone you know has a plantar wart, we can help.

A Physicians Footcare podiatrist will thoroughly examine your feet to provide a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Request your appointment now.