- Plantar Wart Treatment
- How Are Plantar Warts Removed?
- Symptoms
- What Are Symptoms of Plantar Warts?
- Causes
- What Causes Plantar Warts?
- Diagnosis
- How Are Plantar Warts Diagnosed?
How Are Plantar Warts Removed?
A plantar wart will appear to have gone away if the area feels smooth, there are visible lines of the skin crossing the treated area, there are no black dots,and the skin area may appear lighter.
A plantar wart is a harmless skin growth that develops on the bottom of the feet and may cause pain when walking.
Most plantar warts are benign and do not need to be treated. Some plantar warts go away on their own in months or years.
Home remedies to get rid of plantar warts include:
- Salicylic acid gels, ointments, or pads available over-the-counter (OTC)
- Salicylic acid treatments may need to be continued for two to three months
- Duct tape over the wart
- The tape may need to be used for one to two months
- Use as directed by your doctor
- Use a doughnut-shaped felt or moleskin patch to pad the wart to relieve pressure
- Take over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicine
- Wear comfortable shoes and socks
- Avoid high heels or shoes that put a lot of pressure on your foot
It can take months for treatments for plantar warts to work. Signs a plantar wart is gone may include:
- The area should feel smooth, without bumps
- Visible lines of the skin crossing the treated area
- There should be no black dots
- The skin may appear lighter in the area where the wart was located
If home remedies do not get rid of the wart and it is causing symptoms, medical treatment for plantar warts includes:
- Cryotherapy
- Freezes the wart
- Some products are available over-the-counter (OTC) and some are prescription
- Cantharidin
- Electrosurgery and curettage
- Excision
- Laser treatment
- Chemical peels
- Bleomycin
- Immunotherapy
What Are Symptoms of Plantar Warts?
Plantar warts often do not cause any symptoms. When symptoms occur, they may include:
- Local pain or irritation
- May be uncomfortable or painful to walk or stand
- Thickened skin
- Small, rough growth
- Can look like a callus
- Tiny black dots on the surface of the wart
What Causes Plantar Warts?
- Plantar warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which also causes warts on other parts of the body.
- There are many different types of HPVs, but only a few types cause plantar warts.
- The virus can enter the skin though small cuts or scrapes on the skin after direct contact with recently shed viruses from an infected person. The virus is not highly contagious, but it can be kept alive in warm, moist environments such as a locker room, or by direct contact with an infected person.
How Are Plantar Warts Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of plantar warts is made with a physical examination. If the diagnosis is uncertain, tests may include:
Reviewed on 9/27/2022
References
REFERENCES:
Image source: iStock Images
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=uf8629
https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/warts-overview
https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm
https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/plantarwarts.pdf
FAQs
A plantar wart will appear to have gone away if the area feels smooth, there are visible lines of the skin crossing the treated area, there are no black dots, and the skin area may appear lighter. A plantar wart is a harmless skin growth that develops on the bottom of the feet and may cause pain when walking.
How do I know when to stop treating a plantar wart? ›
Stop when the base of the wart looks exactly like normal skin (i.e. no black dots or 'graininess). If they become sore or bleed a little just leave off the treatment and carry on the following night. Special precautions are not needed if one goes swimming or walks barefoot to avoid infecting other people.
How do I know when a plantar wart is completely killed? ›
According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD), people need to keep using wart medication until the wart is no longer visible and looks the same as the surrounding skin. People should not be able to see any black dots or areas of grainy texture.
What does it look like after a plantar wart is removed? ›
The treated area may be lighter in color. It may take several months for the treated skin to return to normal color and appearance, though it can sometimes be permanent. Treatment of a plantar wart, which grows inward, may leave a hole after wart removal. Over time, normal skin growth should help reduce the hole.
What does a wart look like when it's healing? ›
Aftercare: The wart will dry up in 1-2 weeks, and the site may turn black as it heals. We advise patients to keep the treated area clean, dry and sun-protected. Some may experience itching or bruising, which will go away in a few days.
When do you stop using salicylic acid on warts? ›
For warts—Repeat one or two times a day as needed for up to 12 weeks, or as directed by your doctor, until wart is removed. For corns and calluses—Repeat one or two times a day as needed for up to 14 days, or as directed by your doctor, until the corn or callus is removed.
When do you stop using Compound W? ›
Stop using Compound W once the wart falls off. You won't need to use it again as long as the wart stays away. If it begins to grow back again or new warts appear you will need to start treatment again and can assume you still have the virus.
Do warts turn white when dying? ›
Wart-Removing Acid:
If there are many warts, treat the 3 largest ones. Since it's an acid, avoid getting any near the eyes or mouth. Also try to keep it off the normal skin. The acid will turn the wart into dead skin (it will turn white).
What's the longest a plantar wart can last? ›
Foot warts can hang around a long time
Although foot warts can go away on their own, depending on the strain of the HPV that caused the wart, some pesky warts can last 18 months or so. Over-the-counter products take the one-size-fits-all approach and can fall short of a 100% cure rate.
Do I have to throw away shoes after getting a wart? ›
During and after treatment for plantar warts it is important to always wear clean, dry shoes, socks, panty hose, and the like. Also remember that old footwear items must either be thoroughly sanitized or discarded or else re-infection is likely to occur.
Below the surface of the skin, the virus will infect the skin cells, leading to the creation of a wart at the surface. This is why when one removes or pulls a wart out, it typically leaves a large hole in the skin. They can be rather deep depending on how severe the skin infection is.
What does a plantar wart look like when it comes out? ›
Plantar wart signs and symptoms include: A small, rough growth on the bottom of your foot, usually at the base of the toes or on the ball or heel. On brown and Black skin, the growth may be lighter than unaffected skin. Hard, thickened skin (callus) over a spot on the skin, where a wart has grown inward.
Do you still have HPV after plantar warts are gone? ›
HPV can be present for weeks or years before the appearance of a wart, and persists for life, even after the wart has resolved. This may lead to recurrence at the same site, e.g. if a person who is carrying the virus becomes immunosuppressed; plantar warts are very prevalent in organ transplant recipients.
Is there a hole in the foot after a plantar wart? ›
Stay calm, though, even though the hole looks painful, it usually is not as what you are seeing is clean, new skin that has grown around the dead virus. Within a few days the foot should completely heal and the hole will have faded to a distant, unsettling memory.
Is it bad to leave a plantar wart untreated? ›
Most plantar warts are harmless and go away without treatment, though it may take a year or two in children, and even longer in adults. If you want to get rid of warts sooner, and self-care approaches haven't helped, talk with your health care provider.
