Plantar lesions or warts
 
The most common areas for a plantar wart to develop are on the parts of your feet that bear weight, such as the heel and ball of your feet. The pressure of having weight placed directly on the wart can be quite painful, as well as any pressure against the side of the wart. Despite the fact that they may be painful, plantar warts are generally considered to be harmless. Even so, it is usually best to have them professionally removed to alleviate any pain and discomfort.
 

Similar to other warts, plantar warts can spread through direct skin-to-skin contact with the wart, as well as by scratching or bleeding from the wart. When this occurs, multiple warts and wart clusters can develop, compounding any issues the wart was previously causing. If this occurs, you should immediately make an appointment to see a doctor for removal. Although this is not an emergency situation, it is best not to ignore the issue, especially when the condition is worsening.
 

Self-treatment is generally not advisable. Over-the-counter preparations contain acids or chemicals that can destroy skin cells. Self-treatment with such medications should especially be avoided by people with diabetes, cardiovascular, or circulatory disorders. Never use these medications in the presence of an active infection. It is advised that a medical professional safely destroys the abnormal skin cells (warts), in order to avoid destroying the surrounding healthy tissue.

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It is best to consult a podiatric physician when any suspicious growth or eruption is detected on the skin of the foot in order to ensure a correct diagnosis. It is possible for a variety of more serious lesions to appear on the foot, including malignant lesions such as carcinomas and melanomas. Although rare, these conditions can sometimes be misidentified as a wart.