Plantar warts aren’t just ugly and embarrassing. When these rough, grainy growths form on the weight-bearing parts of your feet, they can be downright painful, and though you’ve tried everything from over-the-counter treatments to cryotherapy, the warts either won’t go away or just keep coming back.
If you’re trapped in a frustrating cycle with persistent foot warts that resist traditional treatments, you’re not alone. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place for help.
At Alpine Foot & Ankle Clinic, our board-certified Missoula podiatrist, Dr. Gregg Neibauer, offers advanced laser wart treatment that provides a safer, more effective alternative to conventional methods. This innovative solution targets warts while preserving healthy surrounding tissue, often achieving lasting results when other treatments have failed.
Here’s what you should know about laser wart removal—a safe and effective option that helps patients find lasting relief from plantar warts.
Understanding Why Foot Warts Form and Traditional Treatments Often Fail
Plantar warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which typically enters the body through a small cut or crack in the skin. Though over-the-counter treatments, and even cryotherapy, may remove current warts, they don’t penetrate the skin enough to eliminate the virus, potentially allowing new warts to form.
Laser Wart Treatment: A Safe and Comfortable Wart Removal Option
Laser wart removal systems use specialized wavelengths of energy to heat the affected cells, causing them to break down without causing thermal damage to surrounding tissues. This revolutionary process destroys the viral infection that causes warts.
Clinical studies demonstrate that laser wart treatment is safe and effective, with a minimal risk of infection because the laser creates a sterile environment during treatment. Unlike surgical removal, there’s no open wound that requires extensive healing time or carries infection risks.
The procedure typically causes minimal discomfort during treatment, with most patients describing the feeling as a brief warming sensation. This contrasts sharply with the pain associated with cryotherapy or acid treatments.
Recovery time is generally shorter with laser treatment. Patients can usually return to normal activities within a few days but must avoid strenuous exercise or prolonged standing for about a week. The treated area may appear slightly red or swollen initially, but these effects typically resolve quickly. Post-treatment care is straightforward and involves keeping the area clean and dry—no special bandaging, medication applications, or other ongoing care is required.
How Laser Wart Removal Compares to Other Wart Removal Methods
Laser wart removal is more effective than conventional therapies, particularly for treatment-resistant or recurrent warts. Success rates for laser treatment often exceed 85 percent, while traditional methods like cryotherapy typically achieve 50 to 70 percent clearance rates. Laser technology allows for the complete elimination of wart tissue, including the root structure that often remains after other treatments. Cryotherapy and topical acids may not penetrate deeply enough, leading to recurrence. Laser energy can reach all layers of the wart, ensuring more thorough removal.
Laser therapy often has shorter per-session treatment times. While acid treatments may require weeks or months of repeated applications, laser treatment can often achieve complete removal in one to three sessions, saving patients time and reducing discomfort.
The recurrence rate following laser treatment is typically lower than with other methods. In addition to a lower recurrence rate, laser wart removal is less likely to cause scarring than surgical excision or aggressive chemical treatments, helping skin maintain its appearance after healing.
Laser wart removal is also the preferred method for patients with circulation issues or compromised immune systems, as it offers lasting results with decreased infection risks and faster recovery.
What to Expect During Laser Wart Removal Sessions in Missoula
Dr. Neibauer examines your feet, assessing the size and location of your warts to determine the appropriate treatment approach and laser settings for optimal results. After cleaning the area, he positions the laser device over the wart, delivering controlled energy pulses to the affected tissue. Each pulse lasts only a fraction of a second, making the entire treatment session quick and convenient. During the procedure, you may notice a slight warming sensation or brief discomfort.
The wart may appear white immediately after treatment, which is a normal response to the laser energy. Over the following days, the treated tissue will begin to slough off as new, healthy tissue forms underneath—a process that typically takes one to two weeks. Dr. Neibauer and our experienced team are here to guide you to clear, comfortable feet.