Wart Removal

Woodlands Center For Special Surgery

Hand Surgeons & Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Specialists located in The Woodlands, TX & Willis, TX

No one likes the way warts look, but when they grow on your foot, they’re more than a cosmetic problem: they can also cause extreme pain every time you take a step. Without wart removal treatment from Mark Ciaglia, DO, William J. Jordan, MD, Hemali Patel, DPM, and the rest of the team at the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery, warts can grow deep under the surface and spread to other body areas. Call the office in The Woodlands or Willis, Texas, or schedule an evaluation online today to get wart treatments that effectively eliminate warts.

What causes warts?

Warts are skin growths caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. They develop when the virus gets through a cut or crack and infiltrates skin cells.

The warts that grow on your feet, called plantar warts, may develop anywhere, but most appear on the bottom of the foot or between the toes.

You may have a solitary plantar wart. This type often enlarges and may multiply, creating additional plantar warts. Or, you could develop a mosaic wart, which is a cluster of several plantar warts growing closely together.

What symptoms do warts cause?

Plantar warts are rough bumps that may grow inward, causing a lump under the skin that’s painful when you walk. You may develop hard, thickened skin above the area where the wart goes deep below the surface. The wart may have tiny brown or black spots.

When should I consider wart removal?

Warts eventually go away, but that can take years, and most people don’t want to wait that long. Many people also want to remove their warts because they’re contagious. The longer you have warts, the more likely they’ll spread to other people or new places on your body.

You should consider treatment from the experienced Woodlands for Special Surgery team if:

The wart bleeds or changes its color or shape
The wart causes pain that affects your daily activities
The wart doesn’t improve with over-the-counter treatment

People with diabetes or circulation problems in their legs and feet should also seek medical attention to prevent complications.

How is a wart removed?

At the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery, the team specializes in several safe and effective wart removal techniques, including:

Cryotherapy (uses extreme cold to freeze the wart)
Immunotherapy (uses a medication to help your immune system fight the virus)
Laser treatment (uses the laser’s heat to destroy the wart’s blood supply)
Salicylic acid (peels the wart away layer by layer)
Cantharidin (causes a blister to develop under the wart, making it easier to remove)
Electrocautery (uses a mild electrical current to burn off the wart)
Surgery (your provider uses a sharp scalpel to cut out the wart)

The treatment that’s best for you depends on variables like the size, severity, and location of your warts. Your overall health and personal preferences are also important considerations when choosing a wart removal method.

Book an appointment online or call the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery today if you’re ready to have warts removed or have questions about treatments.