Warts are essentially harmless, but they can be embarrassing, irritating, and even painful. Using up-to-date therapies, the team at The Foot Doctors of Santa Cruz County is experienced in the painless removal of plantar warts. If you have warts that are unsightly or painful, call or book an appointment online for their office in Watsonville or Santa Cruz, California.
Warts Q & A
What is a wart?
A wart is a harmless growth that is caused by a viral infection. The wart has roots and grows into the deep layers of your skin. Warts can affect fingers, toes, palms of hands, knees,
Warts present on the surface of your skin as a fleshy mound and are gray, brown, or white. They often disappear and reappear, and can spread to surrounding tissues.
Plantar warts are a viral infection that grows primarily on the soles of the feet. They tend to be hard and flat, with a rough surface and defined border. They can be painful, as they irritate the soft tissues of your feet when you walk.
What causes the spread of warts?
The wart virus can be transmitted through tiny cuts or abrasions in the skin. They can spread by touching or scratching, or by contact with sloughed off wart tissue. At times, plantar warts can bleed, causing the virus to spread and infect other areas of the feet.
In order to prevent the spread of warts:
- Avoid being barefoot outside
- Keep feet dry and clean
- Avoid scratching or touching warts
- Avoid wearing other people’s shoes
Warts can be difficult to treat, so it is important to prevent the spread of the virus to other areas of your own skin and to avoid sharing the virus with others.
How can Cantherone® treat warts?
Warts can be resistant to treatment and often recur. Over-the-counter treatments are usually ineffective, and can be harmful to healthy tissue surrounding the wart.
A traditional treatment for warts is cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen. The team at The Foot Doctors of Santa Cruz County do not use this method, as it can be painful.
The team at The Foot Doctors of Santa Cruz County is proud to offer Cantherone, a painless alternative treatment. Using a chemical derived from the blister beetle, this treatment is a liquid that causes blistering of the viral tissue. The dead, blistered tissue is then removed, and the wart removed with it.
Though not common, surgery may be an option if your warts do not respond to these treatments, or continue to recur.
If your warts are causing you irritation and discomfort, call or book an appointment online today.