Planter Wart Removal

Plantar warts are caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV and found on the bottom of the feet. These warts can be painful to walk on, so it is important you begin treatment for them right away. Another reason for quick treatment is they're contagious and can spread quickly--you can even spread them to other family members if you walk around barefoot.

Salicylic Acid

• Plantar warts can be removed with salicylic acid--you can purchase it at a pharmacy without a prescription or get your doctor to prescribe it. You can even have your doctor apply it if you are worried about doing so--you must handle it carefully because it will kill all of the cells it touches, including the skin surrounding the wart. Apply the acid, wait a few days, scrape the dead skin off and reapply more acid. Continue this cycle until you have killed all of the cells associated with the wart.

Cryotherapy

• Cryotherapy is costly and can only be performed by a doctor. It uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart so the virus does not have proper living conditions. The virus dies and the wart goes away. Cryotherapy can be slightly painful for the first few days after treatment, and it won't get rid of the wart completely after one session. Most patients need one treatment each week for three weeks before the plantar wart is completely killed. Cryotherapy also can cause scarring and change the pigmentation of your skin.

Duct Tape

• Duct tape is not just an old wives tale--it really works to remove plantar warts. Cut a piece of duct tape slightly bigger than the wart and place it directly on the wart. Keep it there for one week and then remove. Use a nail file to file away the dead skin. Repeat this procedure for four to eight weeks or until the entire wart is gone. The duct tape works because it suffocates the virus and causes the surface to die off. Each week, you file away the dead top layer of the plantar wart until you are down to the bottom layer. This is not the fastest method, but it is the cheapest.