Unfortunately, it is one of the most neglected areas of the body, despite how essential they are in people's daily lives. But, sooner or later, you have to learn how to take care of your feet to avoid pain and other types of problems or diseases. Including warts and plantar calluses.
Sometimes there is a tendency to confuse them, but their characteristics and the reason why they appear are very different from each other. As well as the treatment that each one needs to make them disappear. For this reason, it will be necessary to be clear about the differences to identify when it is one or the other and to be able to seek a remedy as soon as possible.
Plantar warts are also called papillomas. Its appearance is that of a small lump similar to a kind of cauliflower with tiny black specks. The shape of plantar warts is round, although they can be of various sizes, and their touch is rough. The areas where they are found are the heels and the base of the foot, around the toes. These warts arise when the human papillomavirus (HPV) is contracted, as it infiltrates the body through small wounds.
The appearance of a callus may have certain similarities with that of a papilloma, they share the characteristic thickening of the skin. In addition to also causing pain and, normally, being located in the area of the sole of the foot. But that's as far as their similarities end.
One of the most effective ways to differentiate a wart from a plantar callus by its appearance is by looking to see if the area where the growth is located is perceived as having a yellow hue. If so, the possibility that it is a wart can be ruled out, it is a plantar callus. Another clue is the shape, since the papillomas have a rounded and defined appearance. But this is not the case with calluses, with much less defined edges. A fairly clear way to distinguish them is by looking to see if the growth has small black dots, in which case it is a wart.
Another fundamental difference between a wart and a callus has to do with the cause that has led to its appearance. While warts are due to the human papilloma virus, calluses have nothing to do with anything of the sort. They simply occur when there is excessive friction in that area, until the callus ends up forming.
Nor should we forget that corns are not contagious, while warts are. In fact, these must be eliminated as soon as possible so that they cannot spread or end up infecting other people.
