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What Are Some Treatments for Plantar Warts?

Plantar warts, also called verrucas, often are more painful than common warts because of where they grow. They often appear on the bottom of the feet, where it is hard to avoid putting any kind of pressure on them. The Mayo Clinic reports that plantar warts often go away by themselves, but only after weeks or months. Over-the-counter wart medications and home remedies such as duct tape will not work for plantar warts.

  1. Freezing

    • Using extreme cold to cut out small surface growths is called cryotherapy. Liquid nitrogen is painted or sprayed onto the wart by a physician. The temperature of the liquid nitrogen used in cryotherapy can range from -40 to -76 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to -60 degrees Celsius), which is much lower than any over-the-counter wart spray. The extreme cold freezes the wart tissue. This can be slightly uncomfortable, but no anesthesia is needed. A red blister usually forms after the treatment. In about one week, the dead skin and tissues making up the plantar wart peels off. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is the best treatment for small children.

    Chemical Dissolve

    • In this method of treatment, chemicals--such as cantharidin (made from blister beetles) and salicylic acid--are painted on the plantar wart and the area is bandaged. In about a week, the chemicals dissolve the tissues of the plantar wart. According to the Mayo Clinic, this procedure is often more painful than freezing, since sometimes the healthy skin around the plantar wart is affected too. This may be the only quick, noninvasive choice if the patient has problems with her immune system, which disqualifies her for cryotherapy.

    Surgery

    • In some cases, the doctor or podiatrist may have no choice but to perform surgery, particularly if the patient's health disqualified her from both cryotherapy and a chemical dissolve. The patient may only need a local anesthetic, which will completely numb the foot. There are a few types of surgery available for plantar warts, including cutting the area and burning the wart tissue with an electric needle. But the American Podiatric Medical Association recommends a type of laser surgery called CO2 laser cautery, which uses a laser to burn out the tissue instead of an electric needle.

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