Plantar Wart Treatment

Plantar warts are described as non-cancerous growths of skin on the soles of your feet. It is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus enters your body through tiny cuts, breaks or cracks in the skin.

Plantar warts are often found to develop in the areas of pressure like the heel and ball of the foot. They often grow into the deeper layers of skin. The possible reason behind it is the pressure the plantar warts receive due to their location. Plantar warts may cause some discomfort to you. It is painful to the touch, and thus makes walking difficult. To add to this, there is always a risk of its spread to other sites having a similar skin. In most of the cases, the plantar warts go away with time. However, medical treatment is required to decrease the intensity and duration of symptoms as well as reduce the risk of the transmission of HPV.

Plantar Wart Home Treatment

You can get complete rid of plantar wart at home. The best plantar wart treatment is possible with salicylic acid. Prepare a mixture of 40-60% salicylic acid in white paraffin. Soak the plantar wart in water. It will loosen and soften the wart up a bit, and thus ease the penetration of medicine into the skin. Apply a small amount of the prepared mixture on the wart. Do not allow the salicylic acid to touch unaffected skin. If it does, wash the skin right after. Cover the application with a bandage or wear a sock while sleeping. Wash the mixture off in the morning. Rub the affected skin off with a pumice stone once daily or thrice a week.

The salicylic acid will make the plantar wart soft, and hence, will assist in the removal of the dead skin. The dead skin contains the HPV. Therefore, avoid the usage of pumice stone for other purposes. For best results, do it before bedtime everyday till the plantar wart disappears completely. If you find the area becoming too tender with the salicylic acid application, use it only twice a week. You can cover the plantar wart with a duct tape.

Thirdly, you can use an over-the-counter cryotherapy. It makes use of freon refrigerants and is quite inexpensive. The kit contains a foam applicator. You are supposed to spray the chemical onto the applicator. Hold the applicator to the plantar wart for a couple of seconds. There are some demerits of non-prescription cryotherapy for treatment of plantar wart. The applicator is usually too large to be used on the small warts. Secondly, the temperature achieved is not as low as required, as with liquid nitrogen. Thirdly, improper working with cryotherapy may lead to blistering of normal skin. All these factors make over-the-counter cryotherapy unsuitable to be used on children below 4 years, expectant and breast-feeding women. The plantar wart natural treatment involves the regular application of 2-3 drops of lemon juice or vinegar on the wart.

Plantar Wart Medical Treatment

In case the home treatment for plantar warts methods doesn't help you get you rid of plantar warts, you need to see a doctor. The medical treatment usually starts with the least painful and least complicated methods. Following are some of the options for plantar wart treatment available at a doctor's clinic.

Liquid Nitrogen Therapy: Liquid nitrogen therapy, also called freezing and cryotherapy, involves the application of liquid nitrogen with a cotton tipped applicator to freeze and destroy the plantar wart. It is not very painful but may lead to blister formation around the wart. You may have to undergo a number of sessions.

Minor Surgery: Surgical treatment of plantar wart involves anesthetizing you first and then cutting away or destruction of the wart with the help of an electric needle. The process is known as electrodesiccation and curettage. If not done properly, the minor surgery may lave behind a scar.

Laser Surgery: Laser surgery makes use of several types of lasers to destroy and remove the plantar warts. You may feel pain during the session. This particular treatment option for plantar treatment is a bit expensive and works in multiple sessions.

You can prevent yourself from contracting HPV by taking care of certain small things. First of all, do not go barefoot in public areas. Dry your feet well right after showering and swimming. Boost your immune system so that your body is able to resist HPV growth even if it enters it.