Warts on the feet may indicate a condition or disease that requires prompt treatment. Absolute Foot & Ankle Clinic serves patients in Northbrook and Crest Hill, Illinois, helping with warts and other podiatry issues.

What Is a Wart?

A wart is a manifestation of Human Papillomavirus, better known as HPV. This virus enters the skin via microscopic cuts or abrasions, so people are often unaware of it until the wart shows up. Once the HPV virus is in the body, it tends to expand quickly, causing very fast cellular growth on the skin’s surface.

Where Do Warts Develop?

Warts develop in many areas of the body, but they are commonly found on the feet and ankles. In many cases, warts may grow on the soles of the feet. These are known as plantar warts. Plantar warts can cause a lot of pain and, if left untreated, can eventually make it hard to walk comfortably.

What Do Plantar Warts Look Like?

Plantar warts may begin as tiny bumps that feel like rough spots on the bottom of the feet. Plantar warts start to grow fairly quickly, and they often turn gray or brown in color. Plantar warts may have dots or lines within them, which is evidence of burst or bleeding blood vessels. However, they may sometimes be flesh color or pink. If plantar warts are left untreated, they may even grow into large cauliflower-like bumps.

How Does the Podiatrist Treat Warts?

Since a wart is a virus, that virus has to be completely eradicated to truly get rid of the wart. Wart treatment is a delicate thing because the podiatrist has to remove the virus without taking the healthy tissue around it. Treatment options include freezing the wart off, injecting the wart with a medicine that can kill the virus, or chemical wart removal. The podiatrist can also treat warts by laser. Although laser surgery is technically surgery, it is a highly specialized and minimally invasive way to get rid of the warts for good.