Many warts on the feet are called plantar warts. These warts are caused by an infection of the human papilloma virus (HPV) and can cause large warts on the feet to develop. Although these warts are not usually dangerous, they can be painful and uncomfortable. HPV infection of the foot can occur by walking around in damp locker rooms, in public showers, or around swimming pools.
Step 1
Apply salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is available over-the-counter from most drug stores and generally takes approximately four weeks to work. These solutions should be applied daily to the wart. Over time, dead tissue on the surface of the wart will appear, which will need to be rubbed off, using a pumice stone or some other abrasive material.
Step 2
Apply duct tape. According to the Mayo Clinic, duct tape works similarly to acid treatments. A small piece of duct tape should be applied to the wart and left there for six days, after which the tape should be removed. The area should be washed and dried and then the dead skin should be rubbed off using a pumice stone. This procedure should be repeated until the wart has disappeared, which will take six to eight weeks.
Step 3
Receive cryotherapy. Cryotherapy, which should only be done by a physician, involves freezing the wart, often with liquid nitrogen. The freezing process will kill the wart and cause mild blistering of the underlying skin, which will cause the wart to fall off after three to four days.
Step 4
Have the wart surgically removed. If the wart is fairly small and is raised up from the skin, a physician may be able to cut the wart off.
Step 5
Pursue other treatments. For warts that are more difficult to remove, your physician may recommend laser treatment (which can be more expensive), electrodessication (which will leave a noticeable scar) or immunogenic treatment (in which the doctor will inject medication that is designed to cause the body to kill off the wart).
Things You'll Need
- Salicylic acid
- Pumice
- Duct Tape
