Warts
Plantar warts are most common in children and teens, but they can occur at any age. If you’ve tried various treatments without achieving relief, don’t wait to seek professional help. At Performance Footcare of New York, PC, board-certified podiatrist Bryon Butts, DPM, offers several types of treatment for warts, including CryoProbe™ freezing and prescription Cantharidin® for those stubborn, deep warts. To make an appointment at the practice in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, or Lake Success, New York, call the nearest office today or schedule online.

request an appointment

What are plantar warts?

Plantar warts are hard, flesh-colored growths that form on the bottom of your feet. They’re caused by several strains of the human papillomavirus that attack the skin.

The virus is transmitted through direct contact, so you’re more likely to experience a wart if you have a cut or scrape in your skin.

What are the symptoms of plantar warts?

Plantar warts tend to develop slowly over an extended period. The bigger they grow, the more painful they get. At first, you might experience pain or pressure when standing or walking. As the wart gets larger, you might also notice a black dot in the middle. Called the “seed,” this black dot is actually a group of blood vessels that feed the wart.

How are plantar warts diagnosed?

To diagnose a plantar wart, Dr. Butts physically examines your foot and asks about your symptoms, including their severity, when they started, and if any activities like standing up or exercising make them worse.

Most warts are visible to the eye, but if Dr. Butts suspects another underlying condition, he might order additional tests.

How are plantar warts treated?

At Performance Footcare of New York, PC, Dr. Butts offers several types of treatment for plantar warts, including:

  • CryoProbe™ Freezing: CryoProbe is a handheld device that freezes your wart and the surrounding tissue. The treatment is quick, pain-free, and requires no anesthesia. Following CryoProbe freezing, your wart turns black, dies, and eventually falls off.
  • Prescription Cantharidin®: Cantharidin is a topical ointment used to treat plantar warts that are deep in the skin and hard to access. When applied to a wart, Cantharidin causes your skin to blister. This process lifts the wart, causing it to die and eventually fall off.

Does plantar wart treatment take more than one appointment?

The number of appointments that wart treatment takes depends on the size, location, and severity of the wart.

Small warts typically respond to a single in-office procedure but larger warts may require a series of visits to Performance Footcare of New York, PC. To achieve the best possible outcome, attend each check-up and carefully follow Dr. Butts’ instructions.

To learn more about the various treatment options for warts, make an appointment at Performance Footcare of New York, PC, by calling the nearest office today or scheduling online.