Your health and safety are our top priority. Read about our COVID-19 protocols here.
What Are Plantar Warts?
Caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), plantar warts are officially names verrucae warts and typically grow on the soles of your feet. They are hard, grainy or fleshy growths and can be painful. On the surface, you may see a circular flat spot with a depressed area in the middle. Underneath the skin, the wart can have finger-like roots, making them difficult to treat from the surface.
The HPV virus is spread by direct contact, usually entering through breaks in the skin, and grows easily on warm, moist surfaces like locker rooms floors and around swimming pools.
When Should You See a Specialist?
If your plantar warts are painful, don’t resolve on their own, or don’t respond to at-home treatments, we recommend you see a podiatrist. Also, if you’re not sure if a growth is a plantar wart, callous, corn, or lesion, contact us to make an appointment for examination and treatment.
Plantar Wart Treatment
There are a number of treatment options for plantar warts, including topical application of salicylic acid, freezing, laser treatment and surgery. There are several over-the-counter treatments for plantar warts, but they are generally only about 50% effective. The team at South Shore Foot & Ankle will discuss all your options with you and work with you to develop a treatment plan that fits your needs.
Swift Plantar Wart Removal
At South Shore Foot & Ankle, we’re committed to providing the very best in modern podiatric treatments, and are proud to offer the innovative Swift plantar wart removal as an option to treat plantar warts.
Swift is a cutting edge, FDA Cleared technology that has proven to be highly effective in the removal of plantar warts. It delivers low dose microwave energy through a specialized probe that targets and effectively treats the underlying HPV virus by stimulating a natural immune response in the body.
Swift protocol involves between three and four treatments, spaced four weeks apart. Each treatment lasts only 5-10 minutes and is what we call a “sock off – sock on” treatment: Limited debridement, no breaking of the skin, no bandages. No home treatment is required between treatments and patients are able to resume daily activities immediately post treatment.
The Swift technology treatment feels similar to the pain of a small scratch or injection, lasting only a few seconds before immediately subsiding. Some may experience some soreness after the treatment, but not anything strong enough to impair normal day-to-day activities.