Warts

The human papillomavirus, also known as HPV, can cause warts to develop when it enters the skin through minor breaks and injuries. There are many types and strains of HPV, and usually, warts are a minor issue for healthy children and adults. For individuals with healthy immune systems, warts will often resolve themselves without additional treatment. It can take a few months to 2 years for warts to heal in children, while it may take a few years for adults. In general, warts are not highly contagious, and you can’t “catch” a wart from someone’s foot by touch. People will react differently to the same HPV strain, so a particular strain that can cause warts in some people may leave others unaffected. 

The HPV strains that cause plantar warts are like the viruses that cause the common cold—it’s everywhere. You can’t really avoid it, but a healthy immune system should handle it without any problems. The good news is that this virus is generally minor or harmless for the vast majority of healthy people, and even if you do develop a wart or 2 it’s very easy to treat. You may be at a higher risk of developing warts if:

 • You are a child or teenager

 • You have a weak or compromised immune system for any reason (stress, chemotherapy, nutritional deficiency, AIDS, etc)

 • You had plantar warts before

 • You have a habit of walking barefoot in moist and warm areas (locker rooms, swimming pools, etc)

You can follow some common-sense guidelines to prevent the spread of warts by avoiding contact with warts and washing your hands, keeping your feet clean and protected to avoid injury, not walking barefoot when you can help it, and using a separate grooming tool on your wart to avoid contamination of healthy skin. 

Your best natural defense against warts is your immune system. While you can’t prevent every disaster or tragedy, there is plenty you can do to protect the health of your immune system. You can eat a diet with all the required nutrients, and include nutritional supplements under the guidance of your doctor. Exercising regularly and getting enough sleep are good for staying slim and promoting optimal immune function. Managing your stress effectively is also a great way to keep your immune system in peak condition.

Warts can be successfully treated at home with the following methods: 

 • Applying a small piece of duct tape to the affected area and changing it twice a day to eventually “peel” off the wart

 • Using OTC salicylic acid wart treatments (these work by chemically removing the wart one skin layer at a time, and eventually causes your body to shed the wart completely)

 • Administering diluted milk thistle extract on the wart 2 times a day

 • Using an OTC freezing spray to freeze the wart so your body can eventually shed it as a blister scab. 

Twice daily applications of apple cider vinegar to the affected area have shown promise, though additional studies still need to be conducted to determine its efficacy. OTC povidone-iodine solution may also be used to remove warts, but this should be administered under doctor supervision to prevent possible complications, especially if you have thyroid disease. 

In general, healthy individuals with no chronic health conditions can safely attempt to treat their warts at home. However, those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes need to see their health provider right away. You may have heard stories about people who have successfully “cut” or burned away the wart on their own. We actively discourage these types of home interventions, as it is more likely that you will inflict an injury on your foot and make the site of infection worse. 

You should see your doctor or podiatrist if:

 • Your wart(s) has failed to shrink or improve or has gotten worse despite dedicated home treatment

 • You have a chronic health condition like diabetes or HIV/AIDS

 • You have a weakened immune system for any reason (cancer, stress, nutritional deficiency, etc)

 • The warts are solid brown or black in color

 • The warts are changing color and growing in size

 • The wart is causing enough discomfort to change your gait or affect your mobility

 • You have a history of chronic warts

 • The location of your wart is deeper in the foot, preventing effective home treatment

As long as you’re healthy, the answer is usually yes. However, this is not an excuse to engage in risky or health-compromising behavior. Good health is a great defense but it’s not bullet-proof. Even otherwise healthy people can go through periods of their life when their immunity is compromised for one reason or the other. It is generally better to assist your body’s natural healing ability with prudent home treatment rather than just doing nothing. 

Will I suffer from complications if I don’t get treatment for my wart? 

While untreated warts are usually benign, they can cause serious health problems for those with chronic health conditions and compromised immunity. An untreated wart that continues to grow and get worse can eventually turn into a cancerous growth such as squamous cell carcinoma or plantar verrucous carcinoma. It may also spread out as clusters of growths called mosaic warts. While mosaic warts aren’t life-threatening, they can be disfiguring and may cause intense discomfort while walking or standing. For some patients, the pain is so great that it permanently affects their mobility and may even cause other foot abnormalities to form. 

While untreated warts are usually benign, they can cause serious health problems for those with chronic health conditions and compromised immunity. An untreated wart that continues to grow and get worse can eventually turn into a cancerous growth such as squamous cell carcinoma or plantar verrucous carcinoma. It may also spread out as clusters of growths called mosaic warts. While mosaic warts aren’t life-threatening, they can be disfiguring and may cause intense discomfort while walking or standing. For some patients, the pain is so great that it permanently affects their mobility and may even cause other foot abnormalities to form. 

There are many effective therapies for wart removal, which include: 

 • Cryotherapy (the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart)

 • Salicylic acid (the wart is chemically removed one skin layer at a time)

 • Electrodesiccation and curettage (the wart is zapped by an electric needle and then cut or scraped away)

 • Cantharidin (a medication that causes a blister to form under the wart, which is then removed from your foot by your doctor after about a week)

 • Immune therapy to stimulate your immune system into attacking the wart (injection, topical cream, or topical solution)

 • Fluorouracil cream (a topical chemotherapy cream that blocks the wart’s DNA and RNA production and repair)

 • Laser treatment to cauteries or burn off the blood vessels feeding the wart

The prescribed treatment will be determined by various factors, such as the size and quantity of warts, your overall health, the presence of clotting or blood disorders, the risk of potential complications, and the current state of your immune system.