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Overview
What Are Plantar Warts?
Plantar warts are noncancerous growths caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). They usually develop on the sole of the foot, especially on the heel or the ball of the foot. Pressure from standing and walking can push the growth inward, which may make it feel tender. Anyone can develop a plantar wart, although they are common in children and teenagers.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Plantar Warts
- A rough, grainy growth on the sole of the foot.
- A thickened area of skin over the growth.
- Pain or tenderness when standing or walking.
- Tiny dark dots within the wart (clotted blood vessels).
- Skin lines that stop or go around the growth.
- A wart on a pressure-bearing area, such as the heel or ball of the foot.
How It Spreads
How Plantar Warts Spread
Plantar warts develop when HPV enters small breaks in the skin, such as tiny cuts, cracks, or scrapes. The virus may spread through direct contact with an infected person or wart, or through contaminated moist surfaces such as communal showers and pool areas. HPV can also spread between areas of your own skin if you pick or cut a wart.
- Avoid picking, cutting, or scratching the wart.
- Wash your hands after touching the wart or applying treatment.
- Do not share socks, shoes, towels, or nail tools.
- Wear sandals or water shoes in communal showers and pool areas.
- Keep the wart covered when recommended by a clinician.
Risk Factors
Risk Factors for Plantar Warts
Modifiable factors
Walking barefoot in communal wet areas, sharing footwear or towels, picking at skin, and allowing feet to remain damp can increase exposure or skin damage.
Other risk factors
Children and teenagers, people with weakened immune systems, and people with cuts or cracks in the skin may be more likely to develop plantar warts.
Complications
Possible Complications
- Pain may change the way you stand or walk.
- Warts may spread to nearby areas or to other people.
- Several warts may join into a larger cluster.
- Picking or cutting the wart can injure the skin and spread the virus.
- People with diabetes or poor circulation may have a higher risk of delayed healing, infection, or treatment-related skin injury.
Diagnosis
How Plantar Warts Are Diagnosed
A clinician usually diagnoses a plantar wart by asking about your symptoms and examining the foot. They look at the lesion’s location, surface, skin lines, and tenderness to distinguish it from a callus, corn, or another skin problem.
A clinician may gently pare the surface to look for characteristic dark dots from clotted blood vessels. If the appearance is unusual or the diagnosis is uncertain, they may recommend additional testing or review by a dermatologist or podiatrist.
Treatment & Management
Plantar Wart Treatment and Management
| Approach | When it may be used | Important considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Watchful waiting | Small, mild warts that are not causing problems | Some clear without treatment, but this can take time. |
| Salicylic acid | Common over-the-counter option for suitable warts | Follow the product directions; protect surrounding skin and stop if severe irritation develops. |
| Office treatment | Persistent, painful, or difficult-to-treat warts | A clinician may use freezing or another procedure and may require repeat visits. |
| Specialist care | Unusual, recurrent, widespread, or treatment-resistant lesions | A dermatologist or podiatrist can confirm the diagnosis and discuss alternatives. |
Do not cut a wart out yourself. Use separate foot-care tools, follow medication instructions, and keep the area clean and protected. Ask a clinician before self-treating if you have diabetes, poor circulation, neuropathy, or a weakened immune system.
Prevention
How to Prevent Plantar Warts
- Wear sandals or water shoes in communal showers, locker rooms, and pool areas.
- Keep your feet clean and dry, especially between the toes.
- Cover cuts, cracks, or blisters on the feet until they heal.
- Do not share shoes, socks, towels, or nail-care tools.
- Avoid touching, picking, or shaving over a wart.
Outlook and Prognosis
Outlook for Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are usually harmless and may clear as the immune system responds to the virus. However, they can persist for months or longer and may return after treatment.
The course can be affected by pain, the number and size of the warts, immune status, and how consistently treatment instructions are followed. Improvement may require repeated treatment rather than a single procedure.
When Should You See a Doctor
When Should You See a Doctor?
Get medical advice
Know when self-care is not enough
Ask a healthcare professional to assess a foot growth that is painful, changing, bleeding, infected-looking, spreading, not improving with appropriate treatment, or affected by diabetes, poor circulation, reduced sensation, or a weakened immune system.
