Skin Growths and Lesions

Patients come to our podiatric offices to receive treatment for a wide range of foot and ankle injuries and conditions. We treat commonplace skin growths like warts, blisters, corns, and calluses. We also see patients with lower limb skin cancers which fortunately are quite rare. No matter the type of skin lesion facing you or your loved ones, our doctors will provide an accurate diagnosis and then build an effective treatment plan for you.

Warts

These viral growths are extremely common—it is entirely possible everyone will experience a wart at some point in his or her life. Warts are typically quite harmless. Plantar warts, specifically, will develop on the underside of your foot. Due to their location, these warts can cause discomfort and sometimes even pain when you place weight on the affected foot.

Left alone, warts may or may not go away in time and could take several years to do so. There are various home remedies for treating a wart, but the best practice (for both safety and effectiveness) is to seek professional care. The doctors at Upperline Health can safely treat plantar warts for you or any of your family members. Further, we can offer advice on how to reduce the risk of contracting the virus responsible for plantar warts.

Blisters

When a foot faces excessive friction, the layers of skin can become separated. When this happens, the body begins to fill the gap between the skin with a clear fluid to act as a protective bubble. These bubbles are commonly called blisters. Blisters can also grow in response to other external factors (heat, cold, diseases, toxins, etc.), but friction tends to be a fairly likely cause.

If you are otherwise healthy, you may not consider a blister to be a major concern, just a bit of a discomfort. For those who have conditions affecting their autoimmune system, like diabetes, this is not the case. A blister could eventually burst and lead to a potentially dangerous infection. If you are diabetic and discover a blister during your daily foot inspection, come to one of our offices and we will safely address the problem with you.

Corns and Calluses

When skin is exposed to persistent pressure or friction, it will respond by developing either a callus or a corn. These are both thickened patches of dead skin, but there are distinct differences between them as well. While calluses are flat and usually found in areas of great pressure, corns are raised into a conical shape and caused by friction instead of pressure.

Both of these respective skin lesions can be concerning for diabetic individuals. Calluses and corns can break down over time and become foot ulcers. Left untreated, a foot ulcer can lead to an onset of gangrene and could eventually require a limb amputation. This concern highlights the importance of inspecting feet daily when diabetes is present.

Skin Cancers of the Feet

Skin cancer can develop anywhere on the body, so it should be no surprise that cancer can be seen on the feet as well. Fortunately, this tends to be quite rare, especially in comparison to the other common skin growths. Even so, it is important to have any growths meeting the “ABCDE rule” evaluated by our medical professionals. Make an appointment to see one of our podiatrists for any growth that is Asymmetrical, has an irregular Border or non-uniform Color, and is greater than the size of a pencil eraser in Diameter, and Evolves or changes in shape, size, or color.

Complete Foot Care

No matter what form of skin growth or lesion has developed on your lower extremities, our medical professionals will determine the cause and find an effective treatment for you.