Plantar warts can be an irritating nuisance, and they can even spread if left untreated. Thankfully, plantar warts are easy to heal and only require one or several trips to the podiatrist’s office for topical treatments. Learn more about treating plantar warts, as well as tips on how to prevent them, below.
What is a plantar wart?
A wart on the foot is known as a plantar wart. They are small, rough growths caused by a virus that has entered broken skin. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the direct cause of plantar warts. There are over 150 kinds of HPV affecting different parts of the body, but only a few are known to cause plantar warts.
Are plantar warts dangerous?
Certain types of HPV can cause cancer later in life, but the strain of HPV that causes plantar warts is benign. Warts are dangerous only because they are highly contagious. It’s possible for new warts to spread to the rest of the body without treatment. Plantar warts can be more painful than warts on other parts of the body because of the constant pressure placed on them from walking and other activities.
Despite being highly contagious and bothersome, most warts are not harmful. They will eventually go away within two years, but it is still recommended to see a podiatrist.
Topical treatment options for plantar warts
Depending on the size and location of the plantar wart, your podiatrist may prescribe a topical treatment medication to apply at-home or perform a treatment in-office.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is a topical treatment for plantar warts that deep-freezes an affected area. Typically, podiatrists use liquid nitrogen in cryotherapy to treat plantar warts, which is fast and effective. Some warts may disappear after one treatment, but other warts may require two or three treatments in total. Cryotherapy is an excellent topical treatment because it has very little risk for scarring and heals quickly.
The downside of cryotherapy is that it can be painful, particularly in areas where the skin is thicker, such as on calluses on the feet. A blister may also develop. Despite these downsides, the few treatments make cryotherapy a great option for treating plantar warts.
Salicylic acid
Another popular topical treatment for plantar warts is salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a peeling medication that is applied over the wart in liquid, cream, or patch form. There are over-the-counter prescriptions for salicylic acid, but if the plantar wart is located on the sole of the foot where the skin is thick, a podiatrist will recommend a stronger prescription to effectively remove the wart.
It’s recommended to soak the wart in warm water before application or apply the treatment after a shower or bath. After patting the area dry, apply the treatment. Once the treatment has sat for the prescribed amount of time, exfoliate the area to remove dead skin cells from the wart. This treatment should be applied daily for the fastest results.
Salicylic acid is an easy treatment to do at home after the podiatrist has reviewed the wart. There are a few risks associated with this treatment, such as irritation of the skin, in which treatment should be stopped immediately and you should contact your podiatrist. Also, salicylic acid may take up to a few weeks of daily application for the wart to fall off. However, there is little to no pain and can be applied at home.
Electrodesiccation and curettage
These topical treatment options are more involved than salicylic acid and cryotherapy. They are generally recommended as the next step if the previous treatments don’t work.
Electrodesiccation and curettage are topical treatments that use an electric needle to cauterize the affected area and a small cutting tool to manually remove the wart. They are usually performed at the same time. Podiatrists will apply local anesthesia and use a low to medium current to burn the wart until it turns white. They will then cut the wart using the curettage tool and apply a postoperative ointment to reduce pain and scarring.
While electrodesiccation and curettage are not the first options recommended for patients with plantar warts, they are highly effective. The risks for these treatments include scarring and postoperative pain; however, the pain is lessened by an ointment and is overall less painful than cryotherapy.
Tips to prevent warts
The best practice for plantar warts is to prevent them from forming in the first place.
- Wear shoes in public pools, bathing areas, and other public settings. If you are walking around a public swimming pool or taking a shower at a campground, be sure to wear flip flops or other shoes to protect your feet from plantar warts.
- Bandage any cuts on the foot with a triple antibiotic ointment. Plantar warts arise from the HPV virus entering broken skin. To keep your feet clear of warts, apply a triple antibiotic ointment to heal the wound and bandage accordingly.
- Wash your feet after being exposed to public areas. If you have been in a public setting and your feet were exposed, wash your feet with soap and warm water to keep your skin clean and free of unwanted germs.
- Don’t touch other people’s warts or your own warts. This is obvious, but avoid touching other peoples’ plantar warts, as well as touching or scratching your own, as this increases the risk of spreading the virus.
- Keep your feet dry. Warts love a moist environment, so prevent them from developing by keeping your feet dry after water activities or exercise.
Treat pesky warts today at Frankel Foot & Ankle.
Dr. Frankel founded Frankel Foot & Ankle to provide patients in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey tri-state area with the latest advances in diagnostic technology and treatment for sports medicine conditions, foot and ankle trauma response and innovative surgical and regenerative approaches. Contact Frankel Foot & Ankle today.
