Plantar Wart Treatment: The 8 Best Remedies and Cures

It’s important to get plantar wart treatment if you’re worried about the state of your feet.

These unsightly blemishes are highly contagious and can be difficult to get rid of if you don’t know what you’re doing.

We’ve compiled this complete guide to the best plantar wart treatment so you can make sure your feet look their best all year round.

Here’s a look at our top 3 products:

Let’s take it away…

What are Plantar Warts?

Warts are common and are caused by the HPV virus — also known as human papillomavirus — which invades the body through breakages in the skin.

HPV is contagious, and is commonly spread from the surface of floors in public swimming pools and communal showers, or by skin-to-skin contact, and people who engage in sports that require bare feet (martial arts for example) are also at greater risk of catching the virus.

Anyone can catch this virus at any time, but it is most often seen in children as most people build immunity to it as they age.

People with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly, or those taking medications which suppress the immune system are also more likely to get plantar warts.

Whilst HPV is harmless, it can result in small, hard fleshy lumps on the soles of the feet — often with a black dot in the center — which are known as plantar warts.

These warts either grow singly or grouped together in clusters.

Sometimes they disappear by themselves over time, but often the pressure of walking around on them can force them to grow into the foot causing a callus and they can become painful and sore.

In order to prevent spreading the virus further, and to avoid the plantar warts becoming painful, it is best to treat them as soon as possible.

Plantar Wart Treatment

There are a variety of treatments to remove plantar warts, ranging from folk remedies to freezing them with liquid nitrogen.

Not all treatments are reliable, some can be painful, and there is often no single treatment that works every time.

Here are some of the most common treatment methods for you to explore.

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid is a prescription strength over the counter medicine in the form of a gel or liquid which needs to be applied daily to the affected area of the foot.

It is also sometimes available in the form of a pad which needs to be left over the wart for a long period of time.

Overall it may take up to three months to remove the plantar wart using this method of treatment.

Cryotherapy

This plantar wart treatment involves application of liquid nitrogen by a medical professional to freeze the affected tissue at temperatures as low as -321 degrees Fahrenheit.

Take a look at this video of freezing a plantar wart:

The liquid nitrogen is applied using either a cotton swab or a spray nozzle.

This type of treatment often requires regular treatment over several months to be successful.

Duct Tape

Duct tape is well known for being to fix just about anything, and warts are no exception!

Strange as it sounds, some success has been achieved by people when applying it to the skin to cover the wart and then leaving it for 24 hours a day, six out of seven days a week, for as long as necessary – usually around eight weeks.

Laser Treatment

For this treatment, lasers are used to cauterize the blood vessels in the skin surrounding the wart, cutting off its blood supply and causing it to die and drop off.

This method requires repeat treatments every three to four weeks, and may have limited effectiveness. It can also potentially cause pain and scarring.

Silver Nitrate

Available as an ointment or solution, or as a stick resembling a match, silver nitrate is a corrosive chemical that cauterizes the skin.

The silver nitrate should be applied daily according to instructions, usually after having removed the dead skin on top of the wart.

Immune Therapy

This plantar wart treatment involves injecting a kind of solution into the wart to encourage your immune system to attack the area where the wart is located.

The injectable solution usually contains antigens or fungal agents, and once injected the immune system attacks both the antigens and the wart at the same time, eventually resulting in killing the wart.

This method also reduced the risk of HPV recurring.

Plantar Wart Home Treatment?

So what’s the best way to treat plantar warts?

Is it necessary to visit a medical professional or can you treat the warts yourself at home?

The truth is that most plantar warts can be easily treated at home.

There are now many different types of over the counter plantar wart treatments that can be purchased online, that are simple and safe to use.

Home treatment is also less expensive than treatment by a specialist.

However, if you have a very stubborn plantar wart which doesn’t respond to home treatment, or if it is causing a lot of pain, bleeding or spreading rapidly, it may be necessary to seek professional treatment.

It is also recommended that people with diabetes or a circulatory disorder should have their warts treated by a physician.

Best Plantar Wart Treatment

Compound W Fast Acting Wart Removal Gel – Maximum Strength

In the form of a fast acting gel containing salicylic acid, this plantar wart home treatment starts attacking and killing warts quickly.

Simply wash the affected area on your foot and then soak the wart in warm water for 5 minutes before drying your foot and squeezing just enough gel onto the wart to cover it.

This procedure should be repeated once or twice daily and make take up to 12 weeks to remove warts completely.

Pros

• Easy to apply
• Pain free
• Affordable
• Many users report fast, effective results

Cons

• A few users report a minor burning sensation

Duofilm Liquid Salicylic Acid Wart Remover

This liquid plantar wart remover contains 17% salicylic acid to kill warts.

The affected area must be thoroughly washed and then the wart soaked in warm water for five minutes, after which time the foot can be dried and a few drops of liquid applied to completely cover the wart.

This best plantar wart treatment also contains self adhesive cover up discs to place over the wart after the liquid has fully dried.

The liquid should be applied once or twice a day, and the treatment may take up to 12 weeks to completely remove the wart.

Pros

• Generally gives good results
• Inexpensive
• Easy to use
• Comes with self adhesive cover ups

Cons

• In some cases it takes a very long time to work

Healing Natural Oils H-Warts #1 Wart Removal Alternative

100% natural, this home plantar wart treatment contains a blend of essential oils and powerful homeopathic ingredients to kill warts or reduce their size quickly without using harsh chemicals or a painful cauterizing process.

This is a great pick for someone who wants to do away with the acids, burning or freezing methods of treatment.

Just 1 to 2 drops of Healing Natural Oils H-Warts wart remover should be applied to the cleaned, affected area three times a day.

Pros

• Totally natural and free from chemicals
• Painless treatment
• Comes with a 90 day guarantee
• Starts working quickly

Cons

• A little expensive

Dr. Scholl’s Freeze Away Wart Remover

Dr. Scholl’s Freeze Away Wart Remover comes in aerosol form which contains the chemical dimethyl ether which freezes when in contact with the external atmosphere.

To use this treatment, the nozzle needs to be inserted into the top of the aerosol and pushed down to activate it. Once activated it should be pressed down onto the wart for a maximum of 40 seconds.

As the gas releases, it freezes the plantar wart, and remove warts after one treatment or several treatments.

Pros

• In most cases kills warts within a few days of treatment
• Easy to use
• Affordable
• Also works on skin tags

Cons

• May cause stinging sensation
• May cause minor burns if used incorrectly

Terrasil Wart Removal Ointment MAX Treatment for Plantar Warts

With a gentle, all natural formula that includes ingredients such as zinc, beeswax, magnesium, plus cedar and jojoba seed essential oils, Terrasil Wart Removal Ointment MAX kills warts whilst remaining kind to skin.

This doctor recommended plantar wart treatment should be applied to the affected area after washing and drying the skin, and then gently rubbed into the wart for at least 15 seconds before covering it with a band aid.

This procedure should be repeated 2 to 3 times daily.

Pros

• Contains no harsh chemicals or additives
• Moisturizing on the skin
• Recommended by doctors
• Simple to apply

Cons

• Can be slow to have any effect

Dr Scholl’s Duragel Clearaway Wart Remover

These sticky band aid style wart treatments are use DrScholl’s unique Duragel technology to safely remove warts without the use for creams, gels or liquids.

The comfortable gel pads are impregnated with salicylic acid which kills the blood supply to the wart, eventually making it shrivel up and drop off.

The pads should be applied to clean, dry skin after having soaked the wart for five minutes in warm water.

Once in place the pad should be left for a total of 48 hours before repeating the procedure as necessary for up to 12 weeks.

Pros

• Safe to use
• Discreet, comfortable design
• Added cushioning provides relief from pain
• Easy to apply

Cons

• In some cases the gel plasters come off before the 48 hours are up, particularly if you’re very active

DR. WART – EXTREME Wart Remover 

Containing natural ingredients and actives such as frankincense oil, tea tree oil, organic apple cider vinegar and melaleuca oil, Dr Wart Extreme Wart Remover is an effective and pain free wart treatment.

This plantar wart ointment should be applied to the wart 2 to 3 times daily and covered with a band aid or bandage.

Results can be seen on smaller warts within as few as 7 to 10 days, but larger warts may take longer to be affected.

Pros

• Very simple application – just rub it generously into wart
• Totally natural ingredients
• Affordable
• Gives great results

Cons

• Requires the use of additional band aids to be effective

Terrasil Permanent Wart Removal Ointment

Another great product from wart removal experts Terrasil, this ointment and protective pad plantar wart removal treatment features a double pronged attack in the fight against warts.

Using only natural ingredients such as essential oils, minerals, and moisturizers, this wart treatment is totally safe even for use on sensitive skin.

The affected area should be washed and dried, and then a thin layer of ointment applied to the wart which should then be covered by one of the protective pads to accelerate removal.

Pros

• Chemical free
• Painless treatment
• Kind to skin
• Great for kids

Cons

• Can be slow to work

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Which do you think is the best plantar wart treatment?