Prescription medication according to an established list. Thinning and cutting treatments.

Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10. These are milder forms of the same virus known for causing lesions on the cervix. These types of viruses infect the outermost layer of skin, the epidermis. The diagnosis is made with clinical findings: Changes in the appearance of the skin, blackheads (which are small blood vessels), interruptions in the skin lines. Plantar warts are often found on the support points. They are deeper and therefore more painful than elsewhere on the body. Warts are often confused with hyperkeratosis (calluses or callosities). Children and people with weak immune systems are at greater risk of developing plantar warts. When adults are affected, warts are often more recalcitrant. Dressing rooms and hotel rooms are the most common infection hubs. Wet non-skid floors around pools are also prominent locations for the proliferation and inoculation of the virus.

Prevention of plantar warts

First, avoid walking barefoot, especially in aforementionned common infection hubs. Keep your feet dry as sweat facilitates the spread of the virus. Once a wart has taken root, avoid walking barefoot to prevent transmission. If you shower barefoot, it must be disinfected with bleach after each wash, just like sandals. The virus will be better eliminated if you return the socks before washing. Finally, do not use a pumice stone or any other instrument that could promote propagation.

Treatment of plantar warts

There are dozens of home remedies to treat plantar warts: “duck tape”, potato peel, lemon & vinegar… Studies have shown that over 50% of warts disappear, without treatment, within 6 to 20 months, especially in children. Who is right? Pharmaceutical treatments are usually primarily composed of salicylic acid. They can be used as a first resort, applied with caution to avoid burning healthy skin. However, these levels are sometimes too low to act well on thicker layers of skin. The same goes for liquid nitrogen which often works best on other parts of the body. Other products used by professionals allow to contain the virus or prevent its reproduction. They usually require few treatments (2 to 5) which are applied every 3 to 6 weeks. The number of treatments depends on the age and size of the wart.