Warts Specialist
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Andrew R. Harrison, DPM
Podiatrist located in San Jose, CA & Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA
Are plantar warts making it hard for you to walk? You don’t have to suffer any longer. At his offices in the Lower Pacific Heights area of San Francisco and San Jose, California, experienced, board-certified podiatrist Andrew R. Harrison, DPM, MS, uses advanced methods to permanently destroy your foot warts and the virus that caused them. For treatment from a plantar warts specialist, call the office nearest you or book an appointment online.
Warts Q&A
What are plantar warts?
Plantar warts are a type of warts that grow on the soles of your feet. Certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) cause these warts, and you most often contract the virus through barefoot exposure in warm, humid areas.
What do plantar warts look like?
In contrast to warts that may grow elsewhere, plantar warts are usually much less bumpy and fleshy. Walk, standing, and moving around normally pushes the warts inward, so plantar warts are usually only slightly raised, or even completely flat.
Plantar warts are usually round, and they may have a rough, grain-like texture. In some cases, you might see a tiny black spot in the middle of the wart, which is a broken blood vessel.
How do plantar warts differ from corns and calluses?
Plantar warts, corns, and calluses can all grow on the feet, and so they’re sometimes confused.
Calluses
Calluses are usually fairly large areas of toughened skin. Like plantar warts, calluses usually appear on the bottom of the feet. In some cases, calluses can grow on top of plantar warts.
Corns
Corns are circular areas, usually smaller than calluses, with a hard center. Normally, corns appear on top of or between the toes, so they’re not easily confused with warts.
If you have growths of any kind on your feet, it’s important to know that you don’t have to live with them. Whether they’re plantar warts, calluses, or corns, Dr. Harrison can diagnose and treat the problem quickly to make you comfortable.
How are plantar warts treated?
Plantar wart treatment can include:
Topical solutions
Topical solutions can allow the wart to be peeled away gradually in layers.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy involves an application of liquid nitrogen. This freezes the wart tissue, and it should fall off in a week or so.
Laser wart removal
Laser cautery can cut off the blood supply to a wart, and the infected tissue eventually dies and falls off.
If necessary, Dr. Harrison can also perform traditional surgical removal to permanently excise your plantar warts. Once you’re free of plantar warts, it’s vital that you prevent HPV exposure by wearing shoes in public areas like pools and showers.
Click the online appointment maker or call Andrew R. Harrison, DPM, MS, to get help for plantar warts today.