A Podiatrist’s Guide
Those plantar warts just won’t go away. You may have tried countless over-the-counter remedies, hoping they would just disappear…only to have them stick around or, even worse, come right back. It’s a common story, but New England Podiatryis here to help. This guide will explain why plantar warts are so persistent, why at-home treatments often fail, and what professional options are available to finally get rid of them for good.
What Exactly Am I Fighting Against?
A plantar wart isn’t just a callus or a patch of rough skin. It’s a viral infection caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The virus gets in through tiny cuts or weak spots on the sole of your foot and creates a rough, grainy growth.
The tell-tale signs are:
- A callus-like spot with tiny black dots in the center (these are clotted blood vessels, not “seeds”).
- Pain when you walk or stand that feels like a stone is stuck in your shoe.
The virus is an expert at hiding from your body’s immune system, and the constantpressure of impact pushes the wart deeper into your skin.
Why Your At-Home Treatments Aren’t Working
If you’ve felt frustrated by the lack of results from pharmacy treatments, you’re not alone.
There’s a scientific reason they often fail on plantar warts.
- Over-the-counter treatments typically use a low-strength salicylic acid.
- The problem: the thick, toughcallus that forms over a plantar wart acts like a shield.
- The acid often isn’t strong enough to penetrate this shield and reach the infected viral tissue deep within the skin.
More often than not, it just irritates the healthy skin around the wart without ever solving the core problem.
The Danger of “Waiting It Out”
While some skin warts on other parts of the body might disappear over time, waiting for a plantar wart to go away on its own is a bad strategy for adults. It’s highly unlikely to resolve, and waiting often makes the situation worse.
- It Can Spread: The virus can spread, causing a cluster of “mosaic warts” to form. This is much more difficult to treat than a single lesion.
- It Becomes More Painful: As the wart gets pushed deeper into your foot from the pressure of walking, the pain will increase.
- It’s Contagious: You can spread the virus to other parts of your feet or even to family members through shared surfaces like showers and bathmats.
How a Podiatrist Can Help
A podiatrist has access to a toolkit of powerful, professional treatments designed to get past the wart’s defenses and eliminate the virus at its source.
- Prescription-Strength Topicals: We use medications that are far more effective at safely breaking down the wart tissue than anything available over the counter.
- Cryotherapy (Freezing): This is a common and effective in-office procedure that uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy the infected tissue.
- Laser Therapy: A modern, highly targeted treatment that uses a specialized laser to destroy the virus and cut off the blood supply that feeds the wart, often with minimal scarring.
- Minor Surgical Removal: For the most stubborn, deep, or painful warts, a simple in-office procedure to excise the wart can provide immediate and lasting relief.
Break the cycle of failed treatments! An accurate diagnosis from a podiatrist will lead to an effective plan, and from there, we can remove your plantar warts for good.
Dr. Catherine Jacobs, Dr. Zachary Sax, Dr. Joshua Oulette, Dr. Ronald Etskovitz, and Dr. Raymond Murano III of New England Podiatry Associates provide comprehensive medical and surgical care for a wide spectrum of foot and ankle conditions. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
