Plantar warts on the bottom of your feet can be unsightly and painful. If you’re looking for effective ways to treat plantar warts, you can find them at Northside Foot & Ankle PC. Experienced podiatrist Timothy Kruse, DPM, offers various nonsurgical treatments for plantar warts in-office, including topical acids and laser therapy. Dr. Kruse also provides minimally invasive surgery to remove tough-to-treat warts without harming the surrounding skin. Call the office in River North, Chicago, or Evanston, Illinois, today or book an appointment online to learn more about the available treatments for plantar warts.
Plantar warts are noncancerous skin growths caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in the top layer of your skin. The virus enters the feet through tiny cuts or cracks in the skin.
While anyone can develop plantar warts, you are at greater risk if you have a weakened immune system or have a history of plantar warts.
If you frequently walk barefoot in public showers, locker rooms, or pools, you’re also at a higher risk of developing this type of wart. HPV thrives in moist, warm environments.
Plantar warts most often appear on your heels or the balls of your feet, where pressure is the greatest. They appear as grainy skin growths and sometimes contain tiny black dots that are actually small, clotted blood vessels.
You can schedule a diagnostic evaluation at Northside Foot & Ankle PC if you have warts that cause pain or interfere with your ability to walk. While not everyone experiences pain from plantar warts, you might wish to seek treatment if you’re embarrassed by them.
Dr. Kruse examines the growths to confirm they are plantar warts and not another condition. He might remove a small portion of skin (biopsy) for further examination under a microscope.
Not all plantar warts need treatment, and some will go away on their own. Suppose you have warts that cause pain or affect your ability to walk. In that case, Dr. Kruse customizes a treatment plan using one or more of the following methods:
Salicylic acid removes layers of a plantar wart gradually. Applying the acid to your skin stimulates your immune system to fight off the HPV infection to destroy the wart more efficiently.
Cryotherapy uses freezing technology to kill the wart. Dr. Kruse applies liquid nitrogen to the skin over the wart, and the treated tissue falls off over time.
Laser therapy closes the tiny vessels that supply the wart with blood. Without nourishment, the tissue dies and eventually falls off.
Minimally invasive surgery is available for warts that aren’t treatable with other therapies. Dr. Kruse uses an electric needle to remove the wart from your foot without damaging the surrounding skin.
If you’re bothered by the appearance or pain of plantar warts, call the Northside Foot & Ankle PC office nearest you today or book an appointment online.