Treating and Preventing Warts

Warts have a reputation for being ugly and gross and associated with bad characters in fairy tales but in reality, they are simply growths that result from a viral infection. In the feet, the most common wart that we treat at Long Island Foot & Ankle Group, PC is the plantar wart. These are hard and flat and have little black dots in the center of them. Another type of wart that also develops on the foot has a raised, fleshy appearance, sometimes mistaken for a callus.

Wart Be Gone

There a number of different treatment methods for warts. These include: 

  • Topical medication
  • Injections
  • Excision
  • Laser therapy

Our foot and ankle surgeons, Dr. Russell Caprioli, Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti, Dr. John Haight or Dr. Marzana Mleczko will examine your feet and the warts and determine the best treatment for you. Warts can take a fairly long time to eliminate. They also can recur in the same spot even after appearing to be completely gone. We recommend that you bypass “folk remedies” and don’t attempt your own bathroom surgery to remove warts. Not only are these methods ineffective, they can harm your feet and lead to infection.

Avoiding the Virus

Warts spread very easily. The best way to prevent warts from developing is to evade contact with the virus that causes them. This means keeping your feet covered in public places like dance studios, gyms, community pools and beach bathrooms and changing areas. It also means not sharing socks, shoes, pedicure tools, towels or anything else that may come in contact with someone else’s feet. If you already have a wart, be careful to not touch it or at least wash your hands immediately if you do. You can spread warts to other parts of your body by touching the wart and then touching another spot. Sometimes warts bleed and the blood can also transmit the virus. 

If you have a wart, contact our Valley Stream or Lake Success office for an appointment today by calling: (516) 825-4070 or (516) 327-0074.