Skip to main content

Warts Specialist

Foot Healers

Podiatrists located in Brentwood, Chesterfield, Creve Coeur, St. Peters, & Webster, MO

Plantar warts are common infections that almost everyone experiences at some point in their lives. The skilled podiatrists at Foot Healers diagnose and treat foot warts at their five convenient offices in Brentwood, Chesterfield, Creve Coeur, St. Peters, and Shrewsbury, Missouri. If you don’t get treatment for a wart, the virus can continue to grow on your body, and you can spread it to others. If you find a wart on your foot, don’t delay treatment. Call Foot Healers or make an appointment online today.

Warts Q & A

What are warts?

Plantar warts are small growths that form on your feet — usually on the weight-bearing parts like your heels or the balls of your feet. The pressure often causes a callus to develop over the growth, which forces it to burrow deeper into your skin. Signs of plantar warts include:

  • Small, fleshy growths that feel rough or grainy
  • Hard, round calluses that form over a specific spot 
  • Tiny, black dots in the growth
  • Pain or tenderness when walking or standing and putting pressure on the wart

Children and teenagers are most likely to get plantar warts. Younger people haven’t yet developed an immunity to the strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes warts. That said, adults can also develop warts. 

How did I get a wart on my foot?

You can pick up the virus that causes warts by walking around barefoot. The virus thrives in warm, moist environments, like shared showers, locker rooms, and public pools. The virus can penetrate your skin through tiny wounds or breaks in your skin.

You can reduce your risk of getting warts by wearing shoes, keeping your feet clean and dry, and changing your shoes and socks daily. 

You should check your children’s feet and your own for signs of warts or other foot infections. They can spread easily among family members.

How do you treat warts?

If you notice a wart, contact the team at Foot Healers right away. The earlier you start treatment, the faster and more effectively your podiatrist can remove your wart. 

The team advises against using over-the-counter treatments. Not only are they ineffective, but you run the risk of damaging healthy skin and causing your infection to spread.

The team offers a variety of treatment options for plantar warts, including:

Topical medications

Your podiatrist might recommend a topical medication to fight the virus and get rid of the growth. Only use prescription medication on plantar warts. 

Laser treatment

Laser treatment uses pulses of light to penetrate the wart and kill the virus. Laser treatments are quick and painless. The procedure reduces your risk of scarring and doesn’t hurt the surrounding healthy tissue.

Surgical removal

In some cases, your podiatrist might recommend surgical removal. They thoroughly numb your wart and the surrounding skin and use a special scalpel to scoop out the growth. They might apply a topical medication to the area to kill off any remaining infection.

Call Foot Healers today or make an appointment online if you or your family member has any signs of plantar warts.