Plantar warts are a common foot condition that affects kids and adults. If you have a plantar wart that bleeds or is painful, you can find help at Los Angeles Institute of Foot and Ankle Surgery. The skilled podiatrists offer comprehensive care plans for plantar warts, even those that are difficult to treat. They use medications, laser therapy, and other strategies to destroy painful warts and lower your risk of getting new ones. Call the office in Santa Clarita, Burbank, or Northridge, California, to schedule a plantar wart evaluation or book an appointment online today!
request an appointmentWhat are plantar warts?
Plantar warts are tissue growths that develop on the soles of your feet due to infections of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus can spread from person to person or by touching infected surfaces.
You get the virus by walking barefoot in locker rooms, pools, or other public places. HPV enters through small cuts or cracks in the bottom of your feet.
Plantar warts tend to be hard and flat with a rough surface and well-defined boundaries. The warts can vary in color but usually are gray or brown. In the center of a plantar wart, you may notice black pinpoints, which are tiny blood vessels that nourish the wart.
Do I need medical attention for plantar warts?
Plantar warts are typically harmless, but some warts can become painful. You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at Los Angeles Institute of Foot and Ankle Surgery if you have pain, bleeding, or your wart changes shape or color.
You also need to schedule a consultation if you have diabetes or other conditions that affect the blood circulation in your feet.
The Los Angeles Institute of Foot and Ankle Surgery providers can confirm the growth on the sole of your foot is a wart and customize a treatment plan to destroy it.
How are plantar warts treated?
While there are over-the-counter wart removers, many aren’t as effective at clearing warts as the treatments available at Los Angeles Institute of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
The providers may use prescription ointments or medications to treat your plantar warts. If you have recurrent warts or warts that are difficult to treat, you may need a laser cautery procedure.
Laser treatments close tiny blood vessels that feed the wart. The treated tissue eventually dies, and the wart falls off. You may need multiple laser treatments to destroy a plantar wart.
It’s important to note that even with treatment, warts can return. The Los Angeles Institute of Foot and Ankle Surgery providers continue to work with you on a treatment plan to manage recurrent warts and prevent new ones from developing.
Call the Los Angeles Institute of Foot and Ankle Surgery office nearest you to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for plantar warts, or book an appointment online today.