Warts

Foot warts are small growths that develop when a virus enters your skin. These warts are very contagious and easy to get. Often misidentified as corns, Dr. Hall can diagnose them very quickly and discuss a plan for removal. If you or your child develops new foot lesions, contact Joseph Hall, DPM at Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic. He offers the most effective treatment for foot warts so you can get rid of them for good. Call Dr. Joseph Hall, DPM (Foot and Ankle Specialist) at Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic in Mill Creek, WA to request a foot wart evaluation or request an appointment online today.

What are warts on the feet?

Warts can develop anywhere on your body. Plantar warts come up on the soles of your feet and are the most common foot warts. They can be painful if they grow large enough or are in pressure-bearing areas.

Plantar warts are flat, hard, and have a raised surface. They may be brown or black and typically have black dots in their centers (those are tiny blood vessels as warts are a virus and have their own blood supply). Plantar wart boundaries have a clear definition, but what you see is misleading because most of the wart is buried under your skin. Warts on the upper foot surface are usually more pronounced.

It’s not uncommon for warts to be confused with similar conditions like calluses and corns which have dead skin layers that develop where an area is under pressure or subject to continual irritation. It’s also possible to confuse foot warts with cancerous lesions, so visiting Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic for an accurate diagnosis is advisable if you have any symptoms.

What causes foot warts?

Foot warts are caused by viral infections, with over 42 viruses known to be responsible. These warts are normally harmless, but can be painful. They’re often treatment-resistant and tend to recur. The virus enters through cracks in the skin, which may be so small you don’t realize they’re there.

The wart viruses live in on hard surfaces where many people walk barefoot, so locker rooms and swimming pools are common sources of infection. You can contract the wart virus by walking barefoot in an infected area or even from infected footwear. The infection is also transmitted by scratching and touching skin flakes or blood from a wart.

Children and teens are more prone to foot warts than adults. Pregnancy, menopause, and times of emotional or physical distress also increase your risk of developing warts. Some people have a natural immunity to the wart viruses.

How are foot warts treated?

Your immune system will attack the infection, and many people find their warts disappear in time if the attack is successful. However, treatment removes foot warts sooner, reducing the pain and unsightliness.

Over-the-counter remedies are available to treat foot warts, usually liquids containing acids that destroy the wart. However, these remedies only work on small lesions and can damage the surrounding skin making the warts more painful, so by the time you notice a wart, self-treatment may be ineffective.

Dr. Joseph Hall offers comprehensive wart treatments, including medications, cryo-surgery and, where needed, surgical removal. 

Call Mill Creek Foot & Ankle Clinic to arrange an evaluation for foot warts or book an appointment online today.