Plantar warts on your feet look unsightly and embarrassing, leading to podiatry problems such as calluses and blisters from shoes that no longer fit right. In some cases, foot warts can even make walking uncomfortable or painful or result in torn skin or bleeding.
What’s the best way to get rid of plantar warts? You can buy lots of products to treat warts. But you might find that over-the-counter products don’t work well enough or that your warts keep returning.
Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Steve Sharlin effectively addresses foot warts at his practice with The Foot Care Group. Find Dr. Sharlin at locations in Hinsdale, Libertyville, and the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Sharlin often recommends cryotherapy as an effective treatment for plantar warts. This type of procedure involves controlled tissue freezing. Here’s what Dr. Sharlin wants you to know about the benefits of cryotherapy as a treatment option for foot warts.
There’s an underlying reason why it’s often so hard to get rid of warts. A virus actually causes warts. If you come into contact with the human papillomavirus (HPV), you risk developing warts. And, if the virus can enter your foot skin through small cuts or skin tears, infection often results.
As your body reacts to the presence of the virus, the physical lump of a wart starts to grow. Warts are made of built-up keratin protein. The repeated pressure of walking on a plantar wart can cause it to grow even more hardened. You may also notice small black dots at the center of your warts, a sign of clotted internal blood vessels.
In order to get rid of plantar warts, it’s necessary to penetrate through hardened or built-up tissue and address the viral infection in the deeper layers of your skin.
Cryotherapy is one of the most effective techniques for getting rid of plantar warts for good. In this form of treatment, Dr. Sharlin freezes your warts or warts away using liquid nitrogen.
That sounds dramatic, but, in fact, this procedure has a track record of success and is minimally invasive. Here’s how it works.
Before starting treatment, Dr. Sharlin may need to surgically remove layers of built-up skin and proteins from your warts. When the wart's center is sufficiently exposed, Dr. Sharlin applies liquid nitrogen, killing the virus. Dr. Sharlin bandages your foot and gives you post-surgical care instructions if needed.
This type of treatment often only needs to be applied once for effective wart removal. Dr. Sharlin ensures that you stay comfortable during your cryotherapy treatment, using anesthesia as needed to keep you from feeling pain.
For effective treatment for plantar warts that can get rid of this troublesome, embarrassing, and uncomfortable type of common podiatry problem for good, contact Dr. Sharlin at The Foot Care Group today. Call now to schedule an appointment, or request an appointment with our easy-to-use online scheduling tool.
