When plantar warts appear on the sole of your foot, going through your daily routine becomes challenging; it becomes harder to take a breath and do the things you enjoy. Although plantar warts aren’t harmful, they can be stubborn and hard to get rid of. The good news is, there are many effective treatments available, from easy-to-find over-the-counter options to expert medical procedures that can help you on your way to clearer skin.
Are you an Active Person? You are at Higher Risk!
Being active is often synonymous with being healthy, which can involve training regularly, playing sports, or spending time in athletic facilities. You may be at increased risk of developing plantar warts.
Warm, humid places, such as locker room floors and swimming pools, are generally ideal for HPV. Those small puddles on pool tiles are fertile ground for HPV. In general, transmission of the virus in the case of HPV is possible through direct contact with the soles of the feet and is more likely if you have cracks in the skin, which can cause rough, chapped feet and the appearance of wart-like symptoms.
How Do I Know If I Have a Plantar Wart?
The first thing you may notice is pain or tenderness in your foot when walking due to pressure.
Research conducted by The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons shows that plantar warts have some other common symptoms, including.
Calloused skin under the foot.
Blackheads on the foot: These are dried blood trapped in the capillaries near the wart.
An unexplained lesion (brown and black skin) under the foot.
Plantar Wart Treatments
If you suspect you have a plantar wart and it doesn’t respond to treatment, see your doctor. They may suggest other treatments, such as electrocautery, cryotherapy, laser therapy, or surgical removal.
The infected tissue eventually dies. However, waiting for this to happen before removing the wart could cause more pain than necessary.
Some plantar warts go away on their own, while others require treatment. You can treat a wart at home or see your doctor for treatment options. There are several ways to treat plantar warts:
- Prescription wart medications.
- Topical treatments.
- Liquid nitrogen.
- The HPV vaccine can also help prevent the development of plantar warts.
- Curettage (cutting the wart).
- Direct application of medications.
- Use liquid, stick, or cream salicylic acid to burn off the wart.
- Laser therapy (burning the blood vessels that feed the wart.
- Cryotherapy (“freezing” the wart).
Liquid nitrogen and salicylic acid are the most common treatments. However, both treatments require multiple applications over several weeks to eradicate the wart.
You can use salicylic acid at home. It’s available over the counter. Apply the medication to the affected area for 11-12 weeks, as directed on the package.
According to a 2019 review, treating plantar warts with salicylic acid is as effective as cryotherapy. For a more effective result, your doctor may combine cryotherapy with salicylic acid, which treats deep warts.
Natural Remedies for Plantar Warts
Some clinical dermatologists recommend using duct tape to treat viral warts. Covering the wart with duct tape prevents it from receiving the oxygen it needs to survive. Without access to oxygen, the wart will eventually die.
Another popular method is freezing therapy, i.e., freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen. This also cuts off the oxygen supply to the wart and can effectively kill the virus. However, it’s important to note that these treatments can sometimes cause the unaffected skin around the wart to become irritated or even damaged, and can give the appearance of thickened skin.
Topical application of apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil as over-the-counter wart removal products can also be an effective treatment for plantar warts. However, it’s a good idea to consult a medical professional before trying any home remedies, such as food, if the first treatment hasn’t worked.
How to Remove a Plantar Wart?
We recommend that you resist the urge to cut, pick, or dig at the wart. This can lead to bleeding, secondary bacterial infections, and potentially spread the virus to other areas of your foot or hands.
Seek medical advice and never attempt to cut off a plantar wart yourself.
Some internet-born remedies include apple cider vinegar or essential oils. However, these remedies are not scientifically proven.
Soak the affected area in hot water for about five minutes.
This will help soften the tissue, making it easier to remove the wart.
Next, gently rub the wart with a pumice stone or emery board. Be sure to disinfect the stone or board after each use.
Next, apply an over-the-counter salicylic acid treatment to the area. You may need to do this for several weeks before the wart disappears. If home treatment doesn’t work, your doctor may prescribe a stronger medication.
When using the wart remover, you should apply the product at least once a day until you notice a reduction in size and sensitivity.
Then, reduce the application to every few days for up to six months.
To speed up the process, soak your feet for 20 minutes a day in warm water containing 3% hydrogen peroxide and 5% dish soap; gently scrub the warts with a small, soft brush, and then dry your feet completely. Continue until the wart disappears completely.
Plantar Warts Treatment in New Jersey
For plantar wart treatment at Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine, we use cryotherapy. A treatment that involves the freezing of warts by applying liquid nitrogen. The freezing causes a blister to form around your wart, and the dead tissue sloughs off within a week or so. Cryotherapy may also stimulate your immune system to fight viral warts.
Schedule a visit for Plantar Warts treatment in New Jersey today by calling or booking a visit online at Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine.
