Font Size

Plantar Warts (cont.)

Plantar Warts Treatment

Self-Care at Home

Warts generally go away on their own within months or years. Because of the discomfort associated with plantar warts, removing them is usually the best course of action.

For temporary relief of pain, place a doughnut-shaped piece of moleskin around the wart. You can buy this at the drug store.
Plantar warts thrive on moisture, so keep your feet very dry. Wear socks made of a moisture-wicking synthetic such as polypropylene (or you can use cotton and change socks frequently). Change your socks twice a day and apply a medicated foot powder such as Zeasorb.

To remove warts yourself, you may try home treatments usually applied directly to the wart. Note that all of these methods can take considerable time to work, often months. Treatment should continue until the wart has disappeared or complications such as pain or infection occur.

Salicylic acid
- To kill the wart, apply an over-the-counter salicylic acid preparation, available at the pharmacy in liquid, gel, pad, or ointment. Some familiar brand names are Dr. Scholl's Wart Remover, Compound W, Freezone, and Wart-Off. Be sure to follow package directions because overapplication of these products can burn the skin. Periodically sand and re-treat the wart. It can take several months to get rid of a large one. Warts can spread, so monitor your feet closely and treat warts when they are small.
  - Soak the affected area in warm water for 5 minutes before applying the salicylic acid. This will enhance the effects of the medication.
  - Remove any loose tissue with a brush, washcloth, or emery board and dry thoroughly. It is also important to file away as much of the overlying callus tissue as possible so that the medication can penetrate the wart properly.
- In general, you should see improvement in 1-2 weeks. If such treatment does not yield results after several weeks, you should see your doctor for more aggressive methods of wart removal.
- The prolonged use of this medication is not recommended, especially in infants, people with diabetes, and others with impaired circulation.
- Do not use salicylic acid on moles, birthmarks, or warts with hair growing from them, genital or facial warts, or warts on mucous membranes, irritated skin, or any area that is infected or reddened.
- A commercial preparation containing about 17% salicylic acid and 17% lactic acid in a fast-drying solution (for example, Duofilm or Dermatech Wart Treatment) is applied daily after showering. The preparation is allowed to dry and the wart covered with waterproof tape, which is removed after the next shower or bath. You can pare the wart once a week with a sharp blade (or a family member can do it for you). It may take many months to clear the wart with this method.
- A mixture of 20% Formalin in aqueous solution, available by prescription, is applied daily after showering. The wart is pared once a week with a sharp blade. It may take many months to clear the wart.
Hot water or hyperthermic treatment
- The affected area is immersed in hot water for 90 minutes daily. It may take many months to clear the wart.
Vitamin A
- Another option is to apply vitamin A once a day by breaking open a capsule and squeezing the liquid onto the wart. It can take anywhere from 1-9 months for warts to disappear using this method.