What Are Plantar Warts?

Plantar warts are a kind of contagious skin condition that can affect any part of the body, but they are particularly painful on the feet. They are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) that enters the body through a cut or break in the skin. Plantar warts usually don’t cause problems and could even disappear on their own. But if they get infected, it could be very painful and you may need plantar wart treatment. 

Home Remedies for Plantar Warts

People try different types of home remedies for plantar warts. These could include soaking feet in apple cider vinegar, applying salicylic acid or tea tree oil, and even using duct tape to peel them off. Some people try OTC topical plantar wart removal creams.

But home remedies and OTC medicines may not be effective and may do more harm than good, causing the infection to get worse.

Best Treatments for Plantar Warts

A podiatrist is the best person to help you deal with plantar warts. They will be able to formulate a complete treatment plan to get rid of the wart and stimulate the immune system to prevent chances of re-infection. Some of the treatment options are listed below.

Wart Removal Medicines

Strong prescription medications work effectively against plantar warts. They help by peeling away a plantar wart layer by layer.

Freezing

Cryotherapy is an effective plantar wart removal option. The liquid nitrogen destroys the tissue over the wart. 

Immunotherapy

If your plantar warts keep recurring, it may mean that your immune system’s response to the HPV infection is not good. Immunotherapy helps kick start an immune reaction to get rid of plantar warts and prevents re-infections.

Plantar Wart Removal Surgery

Your podiatrist will consider surgery only if non-invasive methods have failed. 

Plantar wart removal surgeries include:

• Electro surgery – Infected wart tissue is cut out using an electric needle.
• Curettage – A small spoon-like instrument is used to dig the wart out. 
• Laser surgery – Uses laser treatments to burn the tiny blood vessels inside the plantar wart. 

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