What is the best way to get rid of plantar warts?

I get warts on the bottom of my feet. How can I treat and prevent them?

Having a plantar wart can feel like walking on a small rock with every step, said Dr Steven Daveluy, a professor of dermatology at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Unlike other types of warts – small, non-cancerous growths that can crop up on various parts of the body – plantar warts develop only on the soles of your feet. They form small, round, rough and often flat growths on the skin, with tiny blood clots in the centre that look like black dots.

Plantar warts are common and several treatment options are available. But they are often stubborn, sometimes taking months to go away, Dr Daveluy said. Here is what to know about getting rid of them.

How do plantar warts develop?

All warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can live on various surfaces – especially communal ones like those in public pools, showers or gyms. If you walk around barefoot with any sort of break in the skin and you are exposed to the virus, a plantar wart could develop, said Dr Jacqueline Prevete, a podiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital.

Standing or walking can put pressure on the wart, forcing it to grow inwards, Dr Daveluy said. Warts on other parts of the body, in contrast, grow outwards, forming a bump.

Plantar warts can appear at any time of the year. But Dr Saylee Tulpule, a podiatrist and spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, said she sees a huge influx of warts in the autumn, just after people have enjoyed barefoot summer activities – at pools or hotels, for example.

After a person is exposed to HPV, it can take several weeks or a few months to develop a plantar wart, Dr Daveluy said.

Plantar warts are contagious. If you get one, it is possible to develop satellite lesions from the virus spreading to nearby parts of your skin, Dr Prevete said.

They can also spread via skin-to-skin contact or from sharing shoes, Dr Tulpule said.

Anyone can get a plantar wart, but people with weakened immune systems or who have a history of having warts may be more susceptible, Dr Daveluy said. They are also more common in children and teens, who are more likely to be in close contact with others when playing sport or at school.

Can you treat them at home?

Plantar warts can go away without treatment, but it could take years, Dr Daveluy said. And because they can be painful or uncomfortable, and get bigger over time, people usually want to remove them, Dr Tulpule said.

Over-the-counter liquids, gels or pads made with salicylic acid are among the treatment options, but their effectiveness is hit or miss, Dr Tulpule said. That is because they may not contain a high enough acid concentration or because they are used incorrectly.

Another option is to visit a medical professional, like a dermatologist or podiatrist, who can diagnose plantar warts, Dr Prevete said.

One preferred office treatment is “painting” the wart with cantharidin, a topical medication, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). It causes a blister to form that blocks the growth’s blood supply. About a week later, doctors shave the outer layer of skin and remove some of the wart tissue, Dr Tulpule said, but you might need multiple sessions to get rid of it completely.

Cryotherapy, or freezing, is another option. However, Dr Prevete said using this technique can be painful on the bottom of the foot. It may also require multiple treatments and is not as effective as cantharidin. “This usually isn’t a one and done,” Dr Prevete said.

Laser treatments with local anaesthetics may be used for warts that do not respond to other methods, the AAD says. Dr Daveluy said doctors sometimes surgically remove plantar warts too.

On TikTok, some users claim that covering warts with duct tape for several days can get rid of them. While research on this method is limited, one study published in 2002 did suggest that duct tape might be more effective than cryotherapy at treating common warts.

While Dr Daveluy was not aware of any studies that have proven that duct tape works, he said there is no harm in trying it. Some people even cover their warts with duct tape after applying salicylic acid.

How can I prevent plantar warts?

The most effective strategy is to limit barefoot activities in public places, Dr Tulpule said.

Wear flip-flops in gym showers and around pool decks, and regularly moisturise your feet to prevent skin cracks, Dr Daveluy said.

The HPV vaccine helps to protect against strains of the virus that cause genital warts, but it does not specifically target the variants that cause plantar warts, Dr Daveluy said. However, some limited evidence suggests that the vaccine might help plantar warts and other wart types clear up more quickly, so he recommended that anyone eligible for the vaccine to get it.

The soles of your feet and between your toes are commonly overlooked, Dr Prevete said. She recommended checking these areas regularly, and seeing a medical professional if you notice any new or changing lesions on your skin. NYTIMES