Wart Treatments

Suresh Sivacolundhublog

Wart treatments are part of the general foot care services we offer at The Foot Clinic in Cottesloe.

Plantar warts are actually caused by the HPV virus (Human Papilloma Virus), and they typically cause a painful spot of thickened skin on the sole of your foot.

These plantar warts have a different appearance from the ones you would typically see on children’s elbows or knees.

Warts are generally not a serious health concern, but they may cause some discomfort as you run or walk.

wart treatments

What causes warts

Warts are highly contagious and spread through direct contact. The most commonly seen methods of transmission are via direct skin-to-skin contact or via public areas where the virus is present such as swimming pools and locker rooms. This means that warts can spread quickly in households once one person is contagious if care is not taken.

Warts, including plantar warts, are common in children for a number of reasons:

  • Children’s immune system is still developing making it easier for the virus to infect the skin
  • Children are more likely to come in contact with the virus in communal spaces such as public swimming pools and school changing rooms
  • Children skin is more likely to be damaged by cuts and scrapes which can provide an entry point for the virus.
  • Types of wart treatments at The Foot Clinic

    You may find that the over-the-counter wart treatments often fail in providing long term relief. If a warts occur at a deeper level of the skin, and are covered by callus, more advanced types of wart treatments may be required.

    Warts are contagious so it is a good idea to treat them, even if they don’t hurt. If your warts start spreading, or if they cause pain, it’s recommended to come and see your podiatrist at The Foot Clinic as soon as possible.

    How do you treat it?!

    The old and common methods for treating warts include freezing or using an acid to kill the wart with moderate success rates. However, this can be troublesome due to the weekly visits, pain after and keeping any dressings dry. Other methods include surgical excision, but these can have complications such as painful scarring and high reoccurrence rates. Success rates for all these treatments vary highly due to a number of factors including legnth of time the wart has been present, age of patient and practitioner skill.

    Typically, we see a lot of patients who have tried these therapies in the past with limited success and come to see us for those stubborn warts. This is why we use Swift Therapy.

    Other general foot care

    Besides wart treatments The Foot Clinic can help you with corns and calluses, ingrown toenails and general foot care (including diabetic foot care). If you have any concerns, please contact us at The Foot Clinic in Cottesloe Central (Perth).

    At The Foot Clinic we pride ourselves in looking at your overall “foot health”. Sometimes a small problem, like a wart, may influence your gait and the position of your feet. If left untreated, these small changes may even influence the function of your other joints and ligaments, and this may cause other problems down the track.

    Wart treatment using Swift Microwave Therapy

    SWIFT Microwave Therapy is exclusive to qualified Podiatrists and Dermatologists licensed to provide this treatment solution. SWIFT uses a state-of-the-art scientifically proven process called Targeted Heat Shock Therapy which at 83% resolution has the highest success rate for any wart treatment worldwide. It is very fast and non-invasive, with no downtime after treatment and fewer treatment sessions required, so you can return to your normal day-to-day activities and sports immediately!

    SWIFT Microwave Therapy works on all warts, giving hope to those patients who have already tried everything else. This is the reason why The Foot Clinic has invested in this exciting new technology.

    Click here to read more about Swift Microwave Therapy at The Foot Clinic.

    Wart prevention

    There are a number of measures we can take to prevent transmission:

    • Keep your feet clean and dry
    • Wear shoes in public areas, particularly sandals or thongs in communal areas such as public pools, showers and locker rooms
    • Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, socks or shoes
    • Keep your skin moisturised to prevent dry, cracked skin that can provide an entry poiny for the virus
    • If you notice a growth or changes to the skin on your feet, visit your podiatrist immediately