Buzz
Plantar warts are growths that develop on the soles of the feet, caused by the highly contagious HPV virus. This virus is distinct from the strain responsible for genital warts. HPV includes over 180 different strains, each affecting different areas of the body. Plantar warts typically appear on the arches of the feet and may or may not cause pain when walking. These warts can be quite stubborn, but there are several methods you can try. Over time, most plantar warts will naturally disappear, so don't worry if the remedies below don't fully work when used alone. However, combining various methods often leads to quicker results in removing the warts.
Steps
Quick Treatment
Use a home wart freezing kit to treat plantar warts. Around 66% of plantar warts will disappear on their own within 2-3 years. However, if they become painful or troublesome, consider using cryotherapy to remove the wart. This treatment works by freezing the wart, causing the skin cells to die, and the wart will eventually fall off as the skin thaws.
- Unfortunately, no treatment guarantees 100% effectiveness, but cryotherapy is considered the most successful method. Typically, 2-3 sessions are required to completely eliminate the wart.
- At-home cryotherapy works best for warts smaller than 1 cm, but you may need to repeat the process several times.
- The freezing process may cause discomfort, making it not ideal for young children.
- If you're concerned about the procedure or if the wart is large and unresponsive to at-home cryotherapy, consult a dermatologist for professional treatment.
Use adhesive bandages and salicylic acid creams to gradually eliminate warts. Salicylic acid is the most common treatment for warts found in over-the-counter products, offering an effective and painless way to remove them. For certain plantar warts, however, you may need a product with up to 40% salicylic acid. These can be purchased at pharmacies, and you should follow the usage instructions on the label.
- The treatment duration can vary and may take several weeks depending on the case.
- Remove the bandage and clean the wart with soap and water once daily.
- The treatment may progress more quickly if you gently file the wart with a pumice stone or nail file before applying the medication. Never share your pumice stone or nail file to prevent the virus from spreading.
Consult a doctor if you have a painful wart, a wart larger than 1 cm, or one that affects your appearance. While plantar warts will naturally resolve over time, they can become problematic if they interfere with daily activities. A doctor can help speed up the healing process with various treatment options. Although it's rare for a wart to require medical attention for health concerns, seeing a doctor can often lead to faster recovery.
- If warts appear in clusters, known as mosaic warts, they can be more difficult to treat than individual ones. In this case, it's advisable to seek medical advice.
Prevent plantar warts by wearing shoes in public showers and bringing your own towel to pools or gyms. The virus that causes plantar warts thrives in warm, moist environments. It enters the skin through small cuts or open wounds on the feet, leading to the development of warts. By protecting your feet in public spaces with such conditions, you lower the risk of contracting the wart-causing virus.
- Note that the virus causing plantar warts can remain dormant. Even if you show no symptoms and HPV isn't detected in tests, the virus can still persist in your body.
Self-freeze plantar warts
Take over-the-counter pain relievers if you're concerned about pain. Before applying the treatment, you can take 1-2 regular doses of pain relievers like Advil or Ibuprofen about 30 minutes in advance. These anti-inflammatory medications are excellent for managing discomfort during the freezing procedure. While the freezing process is generally not excruciating, the pain relievers will make it more bearable.
Follow the instructions for the freezing treatment. You can find at-home freezing kits at many pharmacies. Be sure to adhere to the directions on the product label if you're doing it yourself. The kit usually contains a small applicator or frozen cotton swab. You will need to apply it to the wart for about 2-3 seconds. While most at-home kits function in the same way, always read the specific instructions on the label to ensure the best outcome.
- You’ll feel a sharp, pinching pain for about 3 seconds, but it will gradually subside. After 10-15 minutes, the sensation will mostly be a mild numbness.
- If you're sensitive to pain, sit down during the procedure. Although fainting is rare, take precautions to avoid injury if you feel dizzy.
Carefully wrap a bandage around the treated area. After the freezing treatment, a scab will form on the wart, and small blisters might appear. You should use sterile gauze to cover the wart and ensure the wound isn’t leaking or bleeding.
- If a blister breaks, carefully clean the area and prevent any fluid from spilling, as it could contain the virus responsible for the wart. Next, wash the wound with mild soap and water, dry it, and cover it with a non-stick bandage.
- You can return to your usual activities after the freezing procedure, but avoid swimming or soaking in hot baths, as water may contain bacteria that can lead to infection. For the first 24 hours, avoid immersing the wound in water in any form.
Repeat the freezing treatment after 2-3 weeks if the wart hasn't healed. Only small warts may heal after just one freezing treatment. Typically, several treatments are necessary for full recovery. Be sure to properly clean scabs and blisters between treatments to avoid infection. It's best to leave any scabs or blisters uncovered when possible.
- Consult a doctor if you experience prolonged numbness lasting more than 2-3 days, bleeding, discharge, or swelling due to infection.
Home Treatment for Plantar Warts
Combine freezing therapy with other home treatments for optimal results. Although freezing therapy is the most effective treatment for warts, it’s rare to fully eliminate the wart after just one session. Freezing can remove the wart, boosting the effectiveness of wart patches, salicylic acid, or other treatments. For the best results, combine freezing with the following home remedies.
Weaken the wart with warm water and gentle filing. Treatment becomes significantly more effective when you make the wart weaker first. Before starting treatment, use a pumice stone or a gentle file to lightly exfoliate the wart, removing the outermost layer of skin to enhance the effectiveness of the medication. It's also recommended to soak your feet in warm water before applying gel or cream to soften the skin and improve absorption.
- Remember to dry your feet and exfoliate before beginning any treatment method.
Use gels, creams, and patches with salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is the main ingredient in most over-the-counter wart treatments. You can find convenient and effective gel and patch products for long-term wart removal. The medication works slowly, typically taking 12 weeks or longer to completely destroy the wart. Due to the long treatment time, many people use salicylic acid in combination with freezing methods or other therapies for wart removal.
- Salicylic acid can harm surrounding healthy skin, but you can protect the skin around the wart by applying a thin layer of Vaseline.
- Cover the wart after applying salicylic acid to allow the medication to stay in contact with the skin longer.
Try using duct tape. Although there is little clear evidence supporting the effectiveness of duct tape therapy, many people swear by it. Apply the tape directly to the wart and leave it in place for 6 days. After 6 days, remove the tape and soak your foot in warm water for 5 minutes. It’s believed that duct tape helps keep the virus close to the skin, stimulating the body's immune system to focus on and destroy the wart.
- If the tape comes off, replace it with fresh tape immediately.
- This method may need to be repeated multiple times or combined with other treatments. Don't worry if the wart persists or recurs after the treatment ends.
Use a needle to puncture the wart, disinfect, and bandage it. This method simply boosts the body’s natural immune response to the wart, attracting white blood cells to the punctured area. Though not recommended due to the intense pain, this technique is worth trying. It’s completely natural, inexpensive, and helps the body fight the infection on its own. If you decide to try this method, follow these steps:
- Disinfect the needle by holding it over an open flame for 5-10 seconds.
- Wash the wart with soap and water. Soak your foot in warm water for 5 minutes to soften the skin.
- Puncture the wart with a quick motion, just enough to tear the skin but not deep. You will feel pain during the procedure.
- Clean the wart, apply antibiotic ointment, and bandage it for 1-2 weeks.
Wait for the wart to go away on its own. All foot warts will eventually disappear within 1-2 years, so you might consider letting them heal naturally if they aren’t painful. This is the easiest and most effective way to get rid of warts, as your immune system will handle everything.
- However, foot warts rarely resolve on their own in individuals with weakened immune systems (such as those with HIV), so these individuals should seek treatment.
- Avoid wearing high heels or any footwear that applies pressure to the wart to reduce pain. You should also opt for thick socks and shoes that provide comfort.
- You can buy moleskin fabric and cut it into donut-shaped pads with a hole in the middle to accommodate the wart. This pad can help prevent pain while walking.
Visit a doctor for wart removal
Ask the doctor to trim the wart. In some cases, a podiatrist may be able to shave or trim down the wart. This method is often used in combination with other therapies, as it allows the medication to penetrate the wart more effectively and destroy it.
- Although it won't completely eliminate the wart, this approach can reduce its size and alleviate pain.
Freeze the wart professionally. A doctor can remove a foot wart at the clinic using liquid nitrogen. This procedure is called cryotherapy and is a stronger version of at-home freezing kits.
- Liquid nitrogen is sprayed on the wart, destroying the skin cells through the freezing process. Afterward, a blister forms, which will scab over and fall off along with the wart in a few days.
- Larger warts may require several treatments to be fully removed.
- Cryotherapy can be quite painful, so it's not recommended for young children.
Treat with prescription chemicals from your doctor. In some cases, a doctor may prescribe chemical treatments that are directly applied to the wart to destroy the skin cells. Some prescription treatments for warts include:
- Retinoid creams (Avita, Retin-A)
- Cantharidin (Cantharone, Cantharone Plus). This drug blisters the skin beneath the wart, causing the wart to fall off. It’s applied in the doctor's office.
- Immune therapy against the HPV virus
- Bleomycin injections, although this treatment is extremely painful and rarely used anymore.
Opt for laser therapy or surgery for severe warts. Used in the most severe cases, these methods quickly and permanently remove the wart. However, these treatments can be costly, and they may cause pain while walking, making them less popular choices.
Preventing the Spread of Foot Warts
Cover the wart when at the pool. Foot warts are most commonly spread at pools, so it’s essential to cover the wart with a waterproof bandage while swimming. Special swimming socks are also available at pharmacies.
- You can also use clear nail polish to seal the wart, helping to prevent the virus from spreading to others. However, keep in mind that this method hasn’t been scientifically proven.
Avoid sharing towels, socks, or footwear. Foot warts can spread through shared towels, socks, or shoes. If you have a foot wart, refrain from sharing these items with others. When going to the gym, be sure to bring your own personal items for use.
Wear flip-flops in public showers. Just like in pools, foot warts can easily spread in public showers. Wearing flip-flops is recommended when using shared shower facilities.
Never touch someone else’s wart or your own without washing your hands. Some strains of the HPV virus are highly contagious, so it’s important to cover your wart and avoid touching anyone else’s. Always wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
Disinfect with a towel at the gym. The gym is one of the most common places where the virus causing foot warts spreads among adults, but you can easily prevent this by using wet wipes near the equipment. Be sure to wipe down everything you've used after your workout, and consider wearing weightlifting gloves if you're concerned about the virus spreading.
Advice
- Tea tree oil can help remove warts. Use a nail file to gently buff the wart and apply tea tree oil with a cotton ball. Apply this each night before bed; the wart will disappear within a few weeks.
- Warts that you've removed may reappear after a few weeks. This means your body is still fighting the virus, but the wart will soon be eradicated.
- Seek medical advice if you suspect an infection from the treatments you've tried. Signs of infection include increased pain, swelling, redness, heat, tenderness around the wart, red streaks extending from the wart, pus or discharge, and fever.
- You may also try boosting your immune system to help eliminate the virus.
