1. Understanding the Hard, Rough Spot With Black Dots on Your Child’s Foot
A tough, rough patch with small black dots on the sole often points to a plantar wart. These warts are triggered by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and usually appear on areas of the foot that bear weight, such as the heel or the ball of the foot. The black dots you see are actually tiny blood vessels that have clotted, which is a key sign of this condition.
Plantar warts can range in size from a few millimeters to about a centimeter across. Because they grow on pressure points of the foot, they may cause pain when standing or walking. The rough surface develops from thickened skin covering the wart, which sometimes makes it resemble a callus.
2. How to Distinguish a Plantar Wart From a Splinter, Blister, or Callus Tonight
