Removing a Plantar Wart: These Methods Help
If you want to remove a plantar wart, you need stamina: it can be very persistent. With these methods, you are guaranteed to get rid of plantar warts!
What are plantar warts?
Plantar warts form on the foot, especially on the heel, the sole of the foot or between the toes. They are mainly caused by smear infection by human papilloma viruses (“HPV”) – the viruses enter the skin through the smallest of injuries. Plantar warts are barely visible from the outside, but they grow, as their name suggests, thorn-like deep into the skin and can cause symptoms such as severe pain when walking. The warts are also contagious – so you should always remove a plantar wart.
Why do plantar warts occur so frequently?
Although only some HPV types trigger plantar warts, they are considered to be very resistant: They can survive for months in germ-friendly environments without a host – for example in the warm and humid floor of a swimming pool. Frequent sweating at the foot can also promote the development. In addition, people with a weakened immune system are more likely to develop warts.
Removing a plantar wart: Which treatment really helps
You don’t always have to go to the doctor when you have warts. If you want to get rid of a plantar wart, you can also try over-the-counter remedies from the pharmacy or home remedies. However, the growths are considered very persistent and may require more than just treatment.
Important: If you are diabetic, complaints such as warts should always be treated by a doctor, because diabetes often causes nerve damage in the foot area. The following complaints should also only be treated by a doctor:
- Circulatory disorders
- Generally weak immune system
- Impaired wound healing
The treatment of warts in children is also better entrusted to a specialist.
Removing the plantar wart with an agent from the pharmacy
The following over-the-counter medicines from the pharmacy can be used to treat a wart:
- Freezing (cryotherapy): A frequently used remedy is freezing of the skin at the site of the wart. Icing affects several layers of skin, causing the wart to die and eventually fall off. Several treatments may be necessary.
- Salicylic acid: This is used to soften the horny skin layers around the wart until it is removed. This can take six to twelve weeks. If you do not want to apply the solution every day, you can also use a soaked patch.
- Monochloroacetic acid: It has a similar effect to salicylic acid, but only needs to be applied once a week.
Which home remedies help with plantar warts?
There is no scientific evidence that home remedies can help with warts. If you want to try them anyway, you should use the following methods, which are simply rubbed onto the skin:
- Lemon juice
- Tea tree oil
- Halved garlic clove
- Vinegar or salt solution
Adhesive tape as insider tip
There is actually a study that proves that warts disappear in about 85 percent of all cases by using adhesive tape – this is supposed to kill off the skin cells affected by the virus. For the adhesive tape trick, simply soften the skin several times by foot baths and cover the affected skin area with parcel or insulating tape. Important: Do not wrap the whole foot. This could disturb the blood circulation.