Corn vs Wart in Phoenix: 4 Key Differences
- Sondema Tarr
- Nov 6, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 5
A painful spot on your foot can be confusing—especially when it’s hard to tell if it’s a corn or a wart. Many people here in the Phoenix and Tempe area come to our office worried they might have “something contagious” when it’s actually a corn, or vice versa. While both conditions can look similar, they’re very different in cause, treatment, and how they affect your feet. In this article, we’ll walk through four key differences between corns and warts, so you’ll know when it’s time to get professional help.
4 Differences Between a Corn Vs Warts
1. A corn is caused by pressure or rubbing vs a wart which is caused by a virus.
A corn is a type of skin growth that has a central core.
Corns usually are caused by excess pressure or rubbing on certain areas of your foot. Common areas where corn can appear include over the joints of your toes, especially if these joints are rubbing constantly inside of your shoes.
A wart on the other hand is caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV. This virus can live on surfaces for several years. A foot coming in contact with the HPV virus, and then the immune system not being able to fight off this infection creates a plantar wart.
2. Warts are contagious vs corns that aren't
Because a wart is caused by a virus, it can be very contagious, meaning it can spread from person to person, or spread to other areas of your foot. For this reason, if you have a wart on your foot, it is important to have it treated by a foot doctor or podiatrist as soon as possible.
A corn is caused by pressure or rubbing, so for this reason it is not contagious. A corn can appear on different areas of your foot at the same time. This may seem like the corns are spreading, but in actuality, just different parts of your foot are under increased pressure.
3. Warts usually will have black dots inside them vs a corn that does not
One of the biggest tell-tale signs between a corn vs a wart is the black dots seen inside a wart only. These dots are broken blood vessels damaged by HPV that cause a wart.
A corn does not damage blood vessels so usually no black dots will be seen inside of a corn.
4. Warts can bleed when trimmed vs a corn that won't
Because a wart invades tiny blood vessels in your skin known as capillaries, many times once a wart is shaved down, it can bleed.
A corn, because it does not invade surrounding blood vessels does not bleed when trimmed.
Key Takeaways
If you’re still unsure whether your painful spot is a corn or a wart, don’t worry—you don’t have to figure it out on your own. At Direct Podiatry Arizona, we take the time to carefully evaluate your symptoms and recommend the best treatment option for you. For plantar warts, we often use gentle, advanced laser therapy as part of an integrative approach that supports both your comfort and long-term foot health.
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