Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Assess the situation
• Part 2 of 3: Trying home remedies
• Part 3 of 3: Try prescription drugs and medical treatments
• Tips
• Warnings

Plantar warts can be painful, annoying and embarrassing. So if you know how to treat the warts on your feet, you can reduce the pain and discomfort, as well as the social stigma associated with it. Treatment can take a long time, but with patience and persistence you can get the condition under control and eventually get rid of your warts completely.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Assess the situation

1. Understand how common warts are and that you are not alone with this problem. Plantar warts are called so because they are located on the plantar surface of your foot, or the sole of your foot.
   • Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which enters your body through the epidermis. The virus then causes a thickened area that looks a bit like calluses.
   • Warts develop more quickly on broken or wet skin, but can also develop on healthy, dry skin.
   • After you are exposed to the virus, it can take up to six months for you to develop warts on the sole of your foot. So it can be difficult to determine when and where you contracted the virus.
2. Know that warts are most common in children and young adults, which can help diagnose them. However, people of all ages can get warts.
   • Warts are also more common in people whose immune systems are weakened for other reasons, such as people with chronic skin conditions such as eczema, people who have had an organ transplant, or people who have HIV / AIDS.
3. Understand that it is easier for anyone with warts to treat fewer and smaller warts. Some people wait to see if their warts will go away on their own, but if you don't see any improvement within a few weeks or if the warts are growing or spreading, it's best to start treatment as soon as possible.

Part 2 of 3: Trying home remedies

1. Use salicylic acid. You can do this yourself at home or with the help of a doctor if you want extra guidance.
   • Before treating the warts with salicylic acid, use a nail file or pumice stone to remove the outer layer of your warts. This way you remove the dead skin cells (the callused part). You will know when you are done with that because the skin underneath the callused area is much more sensitive and it will hurt to continue filing or scraping.
   • Soak the affected foot (or feet, if you have warts on both feet) in warm water for 10 to 20 minutes. You do this before starting the treatment. This makes the skin softer and the treatment will be more effective. After soaking, make sure your foot is completely dry so that the salicylic acid patch you apply stays on your skin as best as possible.
   • Apply a salicylic acid patch to the affected areas on your foot. It is best to perform this treatment in the evening before going to bed. Leave the patch on overnight and take it off in the morning. Continue to do this treatment every evening until the warts have disappeared, then continue for an additional one to two weeks to ensure that the HPV virus is completely eradicated.
   • Note that people who have neuropathy (a medical condition involving nerve damage) are not recommended to use salicylic acid. This is because people with this condition have less sensation in their skin, so the salicylic acid can damage the skin without them realizing it.
2. Try duct tape. This is another effective remedy that can be used at home. It is not fully understood why duct tape helps treat verrucas, but a number of scientific studies have shown that duct tape works well in a large number of people. This treatment is definitely worth a try.
   • The silver duct tape you can buy at most hardware stores is better than clear tape. Silver-colored duct tape sticks better to the soles of the feet.
   • Place a piece of duct tape on your feet (use a large enough piece to cover all the warts) and let the duct tape sit there for six days. If the duct tape comes off earlier, apply a new piece of duct tape to your skin as soon as possible. The goal is to cover the warts for six whole days. Then take the duct tape off for a day to let the area breathe. After removing the duct tape, soak your foot in warm water for 10 to 20 minutes to soften your skin and use a nail file or pumice stone to scrape away any dead skin on the surface.
   • Note that in people whose duct tape method works well, improvement often occurs after two weeks. Often the warts have completely disappeared after four weeks of treatment. If this is not the case for you, it is best to try other treatments.
   • Note that it is not recommended to treat your warts with ducctape if you have one or more of the following medical conditions: diabetes, poor circulation in your hands and feet (doctors call peripheral vascular disease), nerve problems (neuropathy) or chronic skin conditions. These conditions can cause the duct tape to irritate your skin.
3. Try to expose the warts to a high temperature. This is also called hyperthermia. This treatment involves soaking the affected areas on your feet in water at a temperature of about 45 ° C for 30 to 45 minutes two to three times a week.
4. Use garlic cloves. Applying garlic cloves to the warts and rubbing them on the warts every night has been found to help some people. The spots should then be covered with a bandage or duct tape.
   • Garlic has antiviral properties, which is probably why this treatment works.
   • If you don't see improvement after two to three weeks, try a different treatment.
5. Try tea tree oil. This is another agent that has been shown to have antimicrobial properties. Tea tree oil is another easy home remedy to treat your warts if you apply the oil to your warts at night and cover them with a bandage afterwards.
   • Again, if you don't see any improvement after two to three weeks, you should try another treatment.

Part 3 of 3: Try prescription drugs and medical treatments

1. Ask your doctor to try cryotherapy (often using liquid nitrogen). In this treatment, a very cold liquid is applied to the skin that destroys the warts by freezing them.
   • You will usually need to visit your doctor several times to have your warts treated with liquid nitrogen before they are completely gone. Your doctor can give you a treatment plan that tells you how often you should receive treatment. After the wart has disappeared, it is usually recommended to treat the area with salicylic acid for one to two weeks to keep the wart from coming back.
   • This liquid nitrogen treatment is not recommended for young children as it can be somewhat painful. Older children and adults usually don't have a problem with it.
   • Note that in people with darker skin, this treatment may cause depigmentation (lightening of the skin) in the area being treated. If this is a cosmetic problem for you, talk to your doctor. He can recommend alternative methods of treating your warts.
   • If you notice depigmentation after the first liquid nitrogen treatment, you can choose not to continue the treatment. A single treatment is likely to cause minimal damage (or no damage at all), but the damage can be permanent. It is therefore best to stop the treatment if that is a problem for you.
2. Try to have your wart cut. Your doctor will perform this treatment if liquid nitrogen freezing does not work.
   • If your doctor thinks this is the treatment you need, he will first inject a topical anesthetic (freezing agent) into your skin in the area around the warts.
   • Freezing will allow the treatment to be carried out without unnecessary pain.
   • After the skin is frozen, the doctor will use a small scalpel to cut or remove the wart from your skin.
   • Your doctor will likely recommend follow-up treatment to minimize the chance of the wart coming back.
3. Ask your doctor about other medical treatments. These include cantharidin, 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod and other forms of immunotherapy. These treatments are often used later, but they are certainly options that you can discuss further with your doctor.
   • Your doctor may also consider giving you an injection into the wart itself. This treatment will be performed by your doctor if the warts do not go away with other treatments.
   • Finally, your doctor can try laser treatments (or light therapy). This is another option for patients who continue to have warts despite trying other, simpler treatments.

Tips

• If you are not sure if the spot on your skin is actually a wart (instead of something else), it is best to have the spot examined by your doctor.
• If you see any signs of redness, swelling, pus / infection, or other irritation around the area of ​​the wart, it is best to see your doctor to make sure nothing is more serious.

Warnings

• Remember, if you have a chronic skin condition, nerve or circulation problems, or a medical condition that weakens your immune system, you should always consult your doctor before treating your warts in any particular way (with home remedies or prescription drugs) ).