I think that, of all the pathologies that I discuss with students, plantar warts stimulate the most interesting of conversations.
Let’s start with myth #1 that you can get a wart from kissing a frog or a toad. Come on now, who goes around kissing frogs anyway? False.
Myth #2: Warts have seeds that spread themselves and roots whose tentacles reach wide beneath the surface of the skin. False again. The truth is, the virus that causes plantar warts can spread itself and by doing so “seed” the growth of more warts.
So, what is the truth about warts?
Verruca Vulgaris
Common warts, verruca vulgaris, are caused by one of the 150 related varieties of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a pathogen that can infect the mucocutaneous membranes of the body.
The virus produces excessive growth of benign, hard, crusty protein particles by targeting the keratinocytes in the skin. Keratinocytes are the predominant cell in skin and form a barrier against invading pathogens. The virus makes its way into the body when cuts or scrapes are present to weaken the protective barrier created by the keratinocytes.
Warts do not typically create a strong immune system response. They therefore tend to grow for months or even years without much attention brought to them. Although slow, they are tenacious; removal methods must be thorough.
Warts look like hard, cauliflower-shaped calluses, so it’s important to be able to distinguish the difference between the two. They present often at joints – think fingers and knuckles – or on the sole of the foot, where they are known as plantar warts. Plantar warts that grow together in a cluster are known as mosaic warts. 
Plantar Warts
Standing and walking puts pressure on plantar warts and tends to force them deeper into the tissue, with the added pressure often resulting in pain to the affected area. Plantar warts in themselves are harmless, although in many cases they are too painful to ignore.
Differences Between Plantar Warts and Calluses
- Plantar warts grow anywhere on the bottom of the foot; calluses develop on areas of the foot that bear the most pressure when walking and standing.
- Plantar warts grow randomly and usually affect one foot only; calluses grow more-or-less symmetrically on both feet.
- Plantar warts have a speckled appearance, indicating a capillary supply; a callus is gray, yellowish or whitish, depending on the person’s skin tone.
Prevention and Treatment Options
Although it can take months or even years, warts usually go away by themselves. Most people prefer to take some sort of action rather than wait for their natural decline.
Some folks treat warts themselves, while others consult with podiatrists or dermatologists. Treatment options are topical (application of salicylic acid or liquid nitrogen, essential oil application); some involve more invasive procedures (lasers, scalpel incisions, immunotherapies). Combative therapies are best provided by a trained and licensed practitioner, as “self-surgery”, even aggressive use of a pumice stone, can result in a secondary ring of warts surrounding the original annoyance.
Another strategy that seems to work is simply wrapping the wart in duct take. Yup! You read right. Follow the link at the bottom of this post to read a study that compared duct tape wrapping to cryotherapy.
Even more interesting are the seemingly crazy folk remedies that work. As bizarre as these may sound to you, people swear by the results they have gotten. Here are some that I have heard in my many years of teaching:
- Rub a sliced raw potato (or raw onion or raw garlic) over the wart; bury the veggie in the back yard. Don’t tell anyone where!;
- Wrap a horsehair around the wart before going to sleep;
- Get someone to chant over your wart in Russian and then spit on the wart;
- Apply a paste made of baking powder, crushed vitamin C and castor oil;
- Soak warts in pineapple juice;
- And the best: “sell” your warts to a “wart lady” (yup, those people exist!)
As far as I’m concerned, if it works, go for it! The above folk remedies cost literally nothing and are non-invasive. Since little money is spent on wart research, maybe these decade-old folk remedies serve to prove the psychoneuroimmunology connection between beliefs, thoughts and our physical bodies.
Providing Reflexology
Because any skin that flakes off or any blood that seeps out from around a wart can potentially carry the virus, warts are often discussed as contagious skin conditions. Please keep in mind though, that this is a very slow-acting, almost lazy, pathogen, so a practitioner would have to work hard to “catch” someone else’s warts, starting with the existence of a cut or sore on the therapist’s hands.
Reflexologists should consider all warts a local contraindication when offering their work. Minimize direct contact with warts; do not apply pressure on the wart. If your client has undergone some invasive procedure on their wart where leakage of fluid is possible, insist that s/he bandage the area before expecting you to work.
Pay extra attention to the reflexes of the lymphatic system to support the body’s attempts to destroy the virus.
Share Your Remedies
What remedies have you and/or your clients used to rid yourselves of warts? I suspect there are far more than what I’ve listed above, so do share!
Wart medications I have been using on my heel, and it seems to be making some positive difference: basil leaf crushed up and taped to the wart; tea tree oil. That said, the changes are slow, which I am not super happy about.
They are tricky little guys, aren’t they? I’m glad you have found something that is working though.
Wrap warts with a bandage and a banana skin every day and in about 3 weeks it dies. The centre goes black. It has helped on plantar warts, not with ingrown warts which I have one now, will inform all in 3 weeks IF it’s successful.
Thanks, Wayde. I’m assuming you place the inside of the peel against your foot?
I used a remedy on my hands. Growing up on a farm you heard all sorts of cures. Surprisingly the best cure I found for warts was to take a copper pipe or fitting and rub it on the wart. Took about a week or so to see a difference but eventually, it would fade away. My Grandmother would say to rub a copper penny on them and then bury it in the backyard. I believe copper sulfate was or is used in some wart removers.
I’ve heard of rubbing warts with a penny before, Vincent. I wonder how much copper is actually in pennies in circulation now? Your idea to use a copper pipe might be more effective.
Are abrasive techniques such as rubbing a pumice stone, emery paper (or more drastic electric Dremel attack) etc effective, or more likely to spread the warts? I have one on the ball of my foot and I really need to do something to prevent the pain as I walk
Ronald – if your wart is causing a lot of pain when you are walking, you might want to visit a podiatrist to have it medically removed. Good luck.
I have had sucess with Compound W liquid and debriding the wart. You just don’t want to file the wart to the point of bleeding. I would soak my foot in warm water for a couple minutes then remove the top of the wart and some surrounding skin with a nail trimmer. Then treat the wart with the Compound W or similar product. I did this multiple times a day though thats probably not recommended. If this works for you it still will take time to go away. A mole skin ring may help relieve some of the pressure.
I dont have any pain this time/yet so I taped a piece of flattened copper rod to the spot on my foot and will see what happens. Good luck!
A single drop of Lemon Essential Oil applied to wart (slightly scratch surface first) morning and night is quick and effective for removal.
Thanks for sharing that, Hannah. I suspect it is the high concentration of limonene in lemon essential oil. Such a good anti-viral.
I have found that soaking my feet in 2/1 warm water/apple cider vinegar and then rubbing off the dead skin has exposed the “root”. Now I am using the proper wart remover to try and “kill” it! 3 days into treatment, my feet hurt like hell, but I am positive it will be worth it in the end! They were sooo painful to walk! (Treating 3 on each foot, toe, plantar and heel! Ouch!)
Ouch! I hope your strategy works, Courtney. It sounds like a good plan.
Have rubbed daily the inside of the banana peel directly onto my sons warts on his foot after showers and leave the banana inside skin “paste” on , plus have supplemented internally with flax seed oil-seems to be working
It’s amazing how many natural therapies can do the job. Thanks for sharing, Selina.
I have been using oregano essential oil on a 5 year plantar. Filing down a little after a shower, then applying straight to the wart. It’s been about 2 months and really not seeing changes. Does the lemon essential oil actually work? I mean, I have had this thing removed surgically. It came back because I have naturally sweaty feet and it’s a pretty vicious little guy. Compound w- psh. Apple cider vinegar- nope. Salicylic acid, yeah no. Duct tape… tried it 57 times. I’m running out of options it seems. Perhaps I should just name it and deal. But until then… Any suggestions would seriously be appreciated.
Liz – I’m sorry for the tardy response. I only just now saw your comment. I’m also sorry to learn of your struggle with plantar warts. I know they can be very challenging to get rid of. I know it often becomes necessary to experiment to find what works – which it sounds like you have tried. You may just have to have a doc ‘burn’ it off. And maybe a podiatrist can make some suggestions to keep it from re-occuring. Perhaps you have a systemic fungal infection going on? If that’s the case, a qualified herbalist could help. I hope something I’ve said here turns out to be helpful.