What Are Plantar Warts (Verrucae Pedis)
Plantar Warts are painful lesions that present on the bottom of the foot and are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Plantar warts on feet can be extremely painful if not treated properly.
How To Identify A Plantar Wart
Here are some plantar wart symptoms:
The skin lines (just like fingerprints we have skin lines on our feet too) go around the lesion, not through it. This makes it a foreign body in the skin. They hurt when squeezed more than with direct pressure.
When they grow, the Foot Warts have a ‘cauliflower-like’ appearance as shown in the photograph. They often contain small black dots, which are actually tiny clotted blood vessels.
Plantar warts typically appear on weight-bearing areas like the heel or ball of the foot. Understanding how to identify these lesions and recognising the plantar wart symptoms can help you seek treatment early.
What Causes Plantar Warts On Foot
Plantar warts develop when the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infects the outer layer of skin on the soles of your feet. Understanding what causes plantar warts can help with prevention.
Contagious spread: The virus is contagious through direct person-to-person contact or surface contact, particularly in wet areas, e.g. public swimming pools.
Vulnerability factors: You are more likely to contract the virus when your immune system is down, e.g. if you have just had a cold or are under a lot of stress or anxiety in work or personal life.
Seasonal patterns: At AC Podiatry clinic, we see an influx of wart clients in two main periods. Mid-summer when everyone has gotten out and started going to public swimming areas or wearing bare feet. Winter when everyone’s immune systems are down and suffering from cold.
Are Plantar Warts Contagious
Plantar warts can spread from person to person. The virus spreads through:
- Direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person
- Walking barefoot on contaminated surfaces in locker rooms or around pools
- Self-spread by touching your own wart and then touching another part of your foot
- Shared items such as towels, socks, or foot care tools
The virus enters through tiny cuts or breaks in the skin of your feet. Not everyone exposed to the virus will develop warts, as individual immune response plays a significant role.
Corn vs Callus vs Plantar Wart: Understanding The Differences
Many people confuse plantar warts with corns or calluses. Understanding the plantar wart vs corn or callus difference is important for proper treatment.
Corns develop due to friction and pressure. They have a hard center, with skin lines continuing through the corn. Corns are usually painful with direct pressure and commonly appear on toes or bony prominences. Unlike warts, corn cannot spread to other areas.
Calluses are also caused by friction or pressure but present as broader, flatter areas of thickened skin. Skin lines continue through calluses, and they’re usually not painful unless very thick. They form in weight-bearing areas and cannot spread. Learn more here.
This corn vs callus vs plantar wart distinction is crucial because each condition requires different treatment approaches.
Prevention Of Plantar Warts
To reduce your risk of developing plantar warts, follow these preventative measures:
- Wearing shower shoes in public showers or holiday accommodation, or if a member of your household has a wart
- Cleaning your shower/bathroom floors with bleach or vinegar
- Maintaining a healthy immune system, getting enough sleep, and managing stress and anxiety levels
- Keeping feet clean and dry after swimming or bathing
- Avoiding walking barefoot in public places
- Not sharing personal items like towels, socks, or foot care tools
Plantar Wart Treatment Options
There are several approaches for plantar wart treatment and plantar wart removal:
Professional Treatments At Clinic
Swift Wart Treatment is an innovative, non-invasive treatment for warts, including plantar warts. It uses microwave technology to stimulate the body’s natural immune response, allowing it to fight off the wart virus more effectively. This treatment is quick, effective, and usually requires fewer sessions compared to other methods.
Debridement by a trained podiatrist can reduce the depth of the wart. Warts tend to have blood vessels that grow through them creating a nutrient source. These may bleed during debridement and generally don’t hurt when this occurs. It is actually beneficial to bleed during debridement as it wakes up the body’s immune system to recognise there is a problem to fight back.
Cryofreeze therapy can be used to freeze the core of the wart which causes damage to the cells. Over several treatments, this leads to destruction of the wart. This method is effective but may require multiple applications for complete plantar wart removal.
Salicylic acid aims to cause irritation to the wart tissue and stimulate an immune response. It has keratolytic action to assist with mechanical removal of wart tissue. This treatment can be applied consistently over time to gradually reduce the wart.
Silver Nitrate will cauterise the wart tissue. This treatment is generally used in kids as it is pain free. In adults with quite large and long-standing warts, this isn’t quite as effective, but is sometimes used to give the skin a break from salicylic acid.
Surgical options are available for persistent cases. A surgeon will assess if you are an appropriate candidate for this plantar wart treatment, but it’s usually best to try other methods first as surgery is more invasive.
Home-Based Approaches for Plantar Wart Self-Care
Home remedies include Thuja or vinegar applications. These are pain-free, good for kids, and can sometimes be used in addition to other treatments for adults with stubborn warts.
Immune system support is another important aspect of plantar wart self-care. Boosting your immune system with vitamins and zinc supplements, getting sufficient sleep, and practicing regular meditation to decrease stress can significantly help both prevent and treat warts.
What To Expect From Plantar Wart Treatment
Understanding the treatment timeline and process is important
Multiple sessions: Repetitive treatments are often necessary – the podiatrist will guide you into an appropriate treatment plan.
Frequency: Coming into the clinic weekly is generally best to tackle stubborn plantar warts.
Timeline factors: If they are large, well-established warts that have been there for a long time and/or have satellite warts (smaller warts surrounding the main wart), then you may expect a slower improvement to either the depth or size of the wart.
Duration: Treatments can take weeks or months depending on your situation, however, at AC Podiatry we ensure a committed treatment plan to tackle the issue. Learn more about our services.
When To See A Podiatrist
While some plantar warts eventually clear on their own, you should consult a healthcare professional if the wart is painful or changes in appearance.
It’s also important to seek professional care if you’re unsure whether the growth is actually a wart or something else.
People with diabetes, poor circulation, or a weakened immune system should always consult a healthcare provider before attempting self-treatment.
Additionally, if home treatments haven’t produced results after several weeks or if the wart returns after treatment, it’s time to see a podiatrist for more advanced plantar wart treatment options.
Understanding plantar warts—from their symptoms and causes to treatment options—empowers you to take effective action against these uncomfortable growths. Whether you’re dealing with a single plantar wart on foot or multiple lesions, professional guidance combined with appropriate plantar wart self-care provides your best path to relief.
Got any questions about plantar warts? Your podiatrist will be happy to help you!
The team at AC Podiatry
