Warts are growths that typically appear on the heels or other weight-bearing areas of the feet. These warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus enters the body through breaks in the skin, such as cuts, that are on the bottom of the feet. Warts are more likely to affect children and teenagers, people with weakened immune systems, people who have a history with warts, and people who walk barefoot in environments exposed to a wart-causing virus.

If you suspect you have 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.

HPV causes warts to form and is very common. There are more than 100 kinds of the virus in existence. However, only a few of them cause warts on the feet. The other types of HPV are likely to cause warts on other parts of the body.

If you have warts, your podiatrist may try different treatment methods depending on your specific case. Some treatments for warts are peeling medicines (salicylic acid), freezing medicines (cryotherapy), or surgical procedures. Laser treatments and vaccines are also used to treat warts.

Dr. Patel is one of the few physicians trained in performing the technique of microneedling for warts. She also offers a number of modern treatment modalities to help treat stubborn warts such as bleomycin injections and laser therapy in conjunction with a holistic medicine approach.