How to Get Rid of Foot Warts

Recent studies on plantar warts have shown that there are numerous effective treatments that do not require a doctor’s intervention, including several home remedies. These warts appear on the soles of the feet, causing discomfort while walking, but they are typically benign. Experts suggest starting with over-the-counter options like salicylic acid gels or patches. If these treatments don’t resolve the issue, a doctor can assist in finding the most suitable treatment.

Understand the limitations of home remedies. While effective, home treatments may take several months to show results. If you want faster removal, it’s best to consult a doctor. However, even with medical treatment, completely removing warts can take time.

• Plantar warts often disappear on their own without leaving scars, but the process may take a few months. They can be painful and make walking difficult.

Prepare Before Treating Foot Warts. Soften the top of the wart by soaking your foot in warm water for a few minutes. Use a pumice stone or nail file to gently file down the skin on the wart. Be careful not to use the pumice stone or file on other areas to avoid spreading the virus.

• Filing the dead skin helps treatment products penetrate deeper into the wart.

Try Salicylic Acid. There are several over-the-counter topical products, such as Compound W, that use salicylic acid to treat foot warts. These are available in liquid, gel, or patch form. Follow the instructions on the packaging for effective wart removal.

• Salicylic acid treatment is painless but can take a few weeks to show results.

Try Using Duct Tape. Cut a piece of duct tape to fit the wart and apply it for up to 6 days. On day 7, remove the tape and soak your foot in warm water for 5 minutes to soften the dead skin on the wart. Then, use a pumice stone or nail file to gently file the wart. Replace the tape and repeat for another 6 days.

• Do not use the pumice stone or nail file that was used on the wart for other purposes.
• The treatment may take several weeks to show results.
• Although the exact mechanism is unknown, many people report good results with this method.

Learn About At-Home Freezing Compounds. Freezing treatments reduce blood flow to the wart. There are various over-the-counter freezing products you can use at home, such as Compound W Freeze Off and Dr. Scholl’s Freeze Away. Follow the instructions on the packaging for use.

• At-home freezing treatments can be uncomfortable and even painful. A doctor may use a local anesthetic to freeze the wart more deeply.

Determine if You Need a Doctor’s Visit. While foot warts can often be treated at home, there are cases where professional medical care is necessary. You should consult a doctor if any of the following occur:

• The wart does not go away after home treatment or quickly recurs.
• The wart grows rapidly or appears in clusters, which may be a sign of Mosaic warts.
• The wart begins bleeding or becomes more painful after treatment.
• The wart becomes swollen, red, or starts draining pus, indicating an infection.
• If you have diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or coronary artery disease. If you have any of these conditions, do not treat the wart at home and consult a podiatrist to monitor blood flow and treat the wart. These conditions can increase the risk of infection or tissue death due to poor circulation.

Discuss Stronger Peeling Acids with Your Doctor. Over-the-counter salicylic acid is a peeling agent used to reduce the size of warts. If home treatments aren’t effective, your doctor may prescribe stronger peeling acids like bichloracetic acid or trichloroacetic acid.

• To fully remove the wart, you may need multiple treatments, and your doctor might recommend using salicylic acid at home as well.

Talk to Your Doctor About Cryotherapy. Similar to at-home freezing treatments, cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart tissue. After treatment, a blister forms, heals, and falls off, taking the wart with it.

• Cryotherapy can be painful and is generally not recommended for young children. Your doctor may use a local anesthetic, depending on the size of the wart.
• Multiple sessions may be required to see results with cryotherapy.

Talk to Your Doctor About Laser Treatment. There are two laser methods to remove warts. The first uses a laser to cut the wart away from the skin, while the second targets blood vessels supplying the wart, effectively destroying it.

• Laser surgery can be painful and may take longer to heal. Patients are often given a local anesthetic and can go home the same day.

Talk to Your Doctor About Immunotherapy. In this treatment, your doctor will inject an antigen directly into the wart. In other words, the doctor will inject a toxin into the wart to stimulate your immune system to fight the virus.

• This method is used for warts that are difficult to treat or are resistant to other therapies.

If Warts Don’t Respond to Other Treatments, Consider Surgery. A podiatrist may use a surgical technique to remove the wart. The doctor will use an electrosurgical needle to destroy the tissue around the wart and completely remove it. This procedure may cause pain and leave scarring, but it is effective and often provides long-term results.

• DO NOT attempt to cut off a wart at home. Doing so can lead to bleeding and infection if proper tools and a sterile environment are not used.

Identify the Risk Factors for Foot Warts. Warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). There are over 120 different types of HPV, but only 5-6 strains cause foot warts. The virus enters through contact with infected skin flakes.

• Athletes who use public showers are at high risk of foot warts because these spaces often have many people, and individuals rarely protect their feet. Swimmers (indoor and outdoor during summer) are particularly vulnerable if they use public showers and walk around the pool. The risk is also high for those using shared locker rooms, shower stalls, or hot tub areas where many walk barefoot.
• Cracked or peeling skin on the feet makes it easier for the virus to enter the body. Moist feet or those that sweat heavily throughout the day are also at higher risk as the skin becomes cracked from excess moisture, increasing the chances of viral infection.
• People who have had foot warts before are at greater risk of recurrence. For example, picking or squeezing a wart can spread the virus to other areas of the body.
• People with weakened immune systems due to illnesses like mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus, cancer, cancer treatments, psoriasis arthritis, or HIV/AIDS are also at higher risk.

Examine the Suspected Foot Wart Location. The wart may appear as a small, firm, flat area of skin with a rough surface and an outline around it. Although it looks similar to a callus, a foot wart is caused by a viral infection. There are two types of foot warts: solitary warts and clustered warts (Mosaic warts).

• A solitary wart will increase in size and eventually form multiple smaller warts around the original one.
• Mosaic warts are clusters of warts that grow together (without skin between them), resembling one large wart. These warts are more difficult to treat than solitary ones.

Assess for Secondary Symptoms. Is the wart painful? Although it resembles a callus on the bottom of the foot, a foot wart often hurts when you stand or when it is rubbed.

• Look for black dots within the thickened skin. These black spots are called “wart seeds,” but they are actually blood vessels that have clotted within the wart.

Be Cautious of Spreading Warts. Warts can spread from person to person and even across your own body. A few small foot warts can quickly grow into 10, making them more difficult to treat.

• As with most conditions, early detection and treatment lead to more successful wart removal.

Prevent New Warts. After treatment, you are at an increased risk of contracting HPV again, which may lead to new warts. To prevent this, wear waterproof shoes or sandals in public areas such as bathrooms, locker rooms, saunas, pools, or hot tubs. Also, always keep your feet dry and clean. Change socks daily and use foot powder if your feet sweat excessively.

• Apply coconut oil to your feet before bed to prevent cracking and peeling. Wear socks after applying the coconut oil to your feet.

Avoid Spreading Warts to Others. Do not scratch, pick, or squeeze a wart to prevent spreading it to others or to other areas on your own body.

• Avoid touching someone else’s wart and do not share socks or shoes.
• Wear flip-flops or waterproof shoes in public bathrooms to prevent spreading warts to other household members.
• Never leave clothing, towels, or socks on the floor of public changing rooms or pool areas.