Photos of Plantar Warts on Feet

What a Plantar Wart Looks Like

While warts on your hands and other parts of your body vary widely in appearance, plantar warts on your feet all pretty much look the same. Or, at least, they have the same basic characteristics even though they come in different sizes.

Common traits include:

• Round: Because they are circular, they're sometimes mistaken for corns or calluses.
• Flat: Other growths on the foot may be more raised.
• Rough, tough outer layer: These warts are covered by the tough skin from the sole of your foot. They might also have a rough, grainy surface texture.
• Little black dots near the center: This characteristic feature is the wart's blood supply.

Warts can occur singly or in clusters. In some cases they stay small, while other people might develop giant plantar warts. Most often, they appear on the heel or ball of your foot where you place your weight when standing or walking.

Warts vs. Calluses

Plantar warts are commonly mistaken for calluses. Calluses are thickened areas of skin that develop on parts of the foot that bear a lot of pressure or where the skin is constantly rubbing against a shoe or other material.

While at a glance they have similar appearances, warts have a few distinguishing features that calluses do not.

If the circular patch is well-defined, interrupts the natural skin lines, and has a black dot at the center, it's not just a callus; it's a wart.

What Do Multiple Warts Look Like?

Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which infects the epidermis (the upper layer of skin). Once the sole of your foot is infected with the virus, you can develop multiple warts.

Warts might be scattered around the foot in different spots. However, they can also appear grouped together as a cluster.

A cluster of warts is called a mosaic wart. A large cluster of warts can be very painful and make it uncomfortable to walk or run.

It's more difficult to treat a larger cluster, and it can take more time to eliminate all of them.

When to Contact Your Doctor

Plantar warts can go away on their own without treatment, or you might use an over-the-counter treatment to get rid of them more quickly. These treatments use salicylic acid to remove the layers of the wart slowly. Most people don't see a doctor for treatment unless these self-care efforts don't work.

However, in some instances, it's best to see your doctor immediately when you realize you have a wart. This is especially true if you have certain underlying conditions:

• Diabetes
• Poor sensation in your feet
• A weakened immune system

If you do try at-home treatments, watch the area for signs that you should see your doctor. If the wart changes appearance or color, if it is bleeding, or if you have multiple warts, you should call your doctor.

Your doctor may use a stronger preparation of salicylic acid to get rid of the wart. You may also receive cryotherapy, which involves applying liquid nitrogen to the wart to freeze it off.

Other treatment options that may be used include immune therapy, minor surgery, and laser treatment.