What is a Plantar Wart?

A wart is a small growth on the skin that develops when the skin is infected by a virus, specifically the human papillomavirus (HPV). Plantar warts typically appear on the heels, soles, and toes, or other weight-bearing areas of the feet. The virus enters the body through breaks in the skin, such as cuts, that are on the bottom of the feet. Plantar warts are more likely to affect children and teenagers, people with weakened immune systems, people who have a history with plantar warts, and people who walk barefoot in environments exposed to a wart-causing virus.

There are two types of warts. A solitary wart is a single wart. It can increase in size and may also eventually multiple, causing smaller “satellite” warts. This is the easier of the two types to treat. A mosaic wart is a cluster of several small warts growing closely together in one area. Mosaic warts are definitely more difficult to treat than solitary warts.

If you suspect you have plantar warts, you may have the following symptoms: pain or tenderness while walking, a lesion that interrupts the ridges in the skin of your foot, small fleshy lesions on the bottom of the foot, or a callus where a wart has grown inward over a well-defined spot on the skin. Also, tiny black dots may be visible in the base of the lesion, which are actually dried blood contained in the infected capillaries. Also, warts tend to hurt more when squeezed side to side than when directly pushed down on.

There are over one hundred different remedies and treatments for warts if you consult Dr. Google. If you have plantar warts, Dr. Legel and Dr. Kennedy may try different treatment methods depending on your specific case. Typically, we offer debridement, acid applications, and excision. We also now have SWIFT, a microwave therapy device, which has proven 91% successful in permanently removing warts. We are the only medical practice in the metroplex that has this new device. See our SWIFT banner for more details.

Schedule an Appointment

Dr. Legel and Dr. Kennedy are currently accepting new patients with plantar warts and other foot/ankle conditions. To schedule your visit, please call our Dallas clinic at (214) 366-4600. You may also use our online contact form located at the top of this page.