Facts About Plantar Warts

A condition that we at Goldsmith Podiatry find that patients are always in a hurry to get rid of is Plantar Warts. Usually found on the bottom of your foot, Plantar warts may or may not be painful. Below are some facts that all patients should know for dealing with warts.

FACT: The cause of Plantar Warts is the human papillomavirus (HPV). They are contagious and can also spread to other parts of your body.

FACT: A Plantar Wart appears as a thickened patch of skin, like a callus. Usually, there are little black dots in the center of the wart. These are blood vessels that nourish the wart. A wart may be solitary—on its own, or in a cluster of several small warts known as a mosaic. Mosaic warts are harder to eliminate.

FACT: All warts require the attention of our podiatrists, Dr. Howard Goldsmith or Dr. Rosanna Troia. Although warts can go away on their own, they usually do not do so in a timely manner. Warts start deep within your foot and left untreated they typically grow larger, become painful, and spread.

FACT: The foot doctor has several treatment options available for wart removal, including topical and oral medications, laser therapy, acid treatments, and cryotherapy (freezing). It’s important to follow all the podiatrist’s instructions for home care and to schedule follow-up visits to our Upper West Side office as prescribed.

FACT: You should not attempt self-removal of warts or the use of “folk remedies” to get rid of a wart. These are unproven and often lead to greater harm, injury, and possibly infection.

FACT: You can prevent Plantar Warts by practicing good hygiene, wearing shower shoes, or flip-flops in public places like gyms, pools, changing areas, showers, and the nail salon and not using any items that touch someone else’s feet.

If you believe that you may have a Plantar Wart, contact our Manhattan office for an appointment as soon as possible by calling: (212) 877-1002.