Have you noticed unsightly growths on your feet, and are you puzzled about how they emerged? The problem is likely a wart, and although this type of growth isn’t cancerous, it is the cause of embarrassment.
You have options other than keeping your feet covered up forever, fortunately.
The care team at South Florida Foot & Ankle Centers experts offers effective, personalized treatment for warts, and always with compassion. Patients appreciate that warts can be banished in much less time than it takes for them to go away on their own — that can take months or even years.
We tend to treat two types of warts — common warts and plantar warts.
To the naked eye, common warts are rough spots on your skin that are usually raised slightly, and you may also notice dark dots on them, which are actually clotted blood vessels.
On the other hand, plantar warts frequently develop on the soles of your feet, in spots that bear your weight and develop calluses as you walk and move. This makes them grow inward rather than protrude from your skin. Unfortunately, the pain accompanying plantar warts can impede your mobility and make it difficult to stand for long periods.
Most of us suffer slight skin tears and injuries on our feet, which give the human papillomavirus (HPV) a chance to enter our systems and cause warts. Walking barefoot around locker rooms and pools allows warts to erupt. Throw in warmth and humidity — think tight shoes and thick socks — and you’ve got the perfect recipe for warts.
Contrary to what some believe, person-to-person contact doesn’t cause warts.
Those most at risk for warts are kids, teens, and anyone with a compromised immune system, such as someone getting chemotherapy treatment.
Fortunately, we’ve got treatments to offer that can make your warts a thing of the past.
Though many over-the-counter wart treatments contain salicylic acid, they can take a long time to make a difference.
When you visit our office, we thoroughly evaluate your warts. If we think it’s necessary, we might take a sample to confirm that you have a wart and not a cancerous growth, for example.
Your provider may suggest cryotherapy if you have common warts, a freezing treatment done quickly, comfortably, and in-office. Freezing creates a blister around and under your wart. Over a week or so, the dead tissue falls off.
We also offer minor surgical removal of warts.
Your provider may recommend laser therapy for plantar wart treatment if other treatments have failed. The intense light employed in this treatment burns your wart tissue and eventually falls off several days after treatment.
Before treatment, we use a local anesthetic to numb your treatment area to keep you comfortable. The location and size of your wart will impact the length of your healing period.
Our podiatry team favors this treatment because of its high success rate and because there is no scarring.
After healing, discourage further wart development by keeping your feet clean, dry, and protected by shoes whenever you’re outside or in a warm, humid environment.
There’s no reason to live with the discomfort and unattractiveness of warts anymore. A simple visit to South Florida Foot & Ankle Centers can restore your comfort and confidence quickly.
Contact us at 561-793-6170 to schedule a consultation at one of the five South Florida Foot & Ankle Centers locations that’s most convenient to you, or reach out to us through our website.
