“My foot looks like it has a wart on the bottom of it. How can I get rid of it?”
It looks like there is a wart on the bottom of my foot. It's not really causing me any pain, but I definitely don't want it there. What can I do to get rid of it?
32 Answers
Use duct tape to remove it
You should make an appointment because it can be anything. I can let you know if it's a classic wart or not.
Typically we use prescription type medications / acids to get rid of a wart in the office. You can try using a square piece of duct tape over it for 7 to 10 days off. Remove it after this period of time and sometimes it will peel off.
It's best to be evaluated by a specialist
You should see your Podiatrist as warts are difficult to treat without aggressive treatment regimens.
There are over the counter preparations of 17% salicylic acid that can be used to remove plantar warts. Follow the directions carefully, as the acid can burn normal skin as well. Do not use if you are diabetic or have poor circulation. If this treatment doesn’t help, then see a podiatrist.
Plantar warts get pressed into the skin, unlike warts at other locations where the majority of the wart lies on the surface of the skin. I recommend seeing your podiatrist who will advise you of the best options of treatment.
I usually have the patient return to the clinic every 2-3 weeks for follow up treatment of the plantar warts on the foot. The patient is given a protocol to follow in the treatment of the wart. These are the classical sign and symptom of the present of warts on the foot. 1. little black, white cluster of dots at the wart site (called pin point bleeding) 2. positive lateral pressure test (squeezing the warts lesion site from site making you almost jumping out of your skin with pain 3. positive of circumscribed callus tissue that the warts hides under or are embedded in the callus tissue on the bottom of the foot (this why they are called Plantar Warts). Maybe you can have you primary care provider -physician write a prescription for 5FU antiviral cream that can be used in the treatment of plantar warts. I sometime use a laser to treat warts that are resistant to conservative care with cryotherapy,, pulsed dye laser, surgical excision with combo laser and/or chemical cauterization using a Salicylic acid . Warts are caused by viruses are very difficult to treat and take a long time to get rid of them. I would suggest that you follow up with a Podiatrist or Dermatologist to have a punch or excisional biopsy performed at the lesion site-warts to make sure there is skin cancer present at the site that you think is a wart especially if the lesion sites if dark black or brown, bleeds easily if touch, a hair follicle is present and grown, there are furrows and the lesion is ugly.
Need an appt.
You can try an over the counter wart treatment to start, if no resolution is seen, I would seek the advice of a podiatrist.
I would visit a podiatrist and have them perform a shave biopsy to determine the nature of the wart or lesion and they can proceed from there.
Warts, plantar are caused by a virus. It would be better to consult with a Podiatrist or other health care professional for an evaluation Some callous resemble plantar warts.
If it’s a true wart, it won’t go away by itself. Usually, warts, which are a type of papilloma virus, are best treated via some type of resection by use of freezing technique vs surgical excision vs use of chemical agents to get rid of the lesion. If a true wart, have it removed because they can multiply and then you are dealing with a bigger problem.
A wart is a virus and could spread. Go see your podiatrist for treatment options.
First you should see a Dermatologist or Podiatrist to confirm it is a wart. Genereally a wart has no skin lines going through it and has pin point bleeding when you shave it. Once confirmed it is a wart, there are several treatment options. most conservative is to apply Salicylic acid (17-40%) once a day. Try not to get alot on healthy skin can cause a chemical burn. Other more aggressive treatments include excision of wart,laser, and freezing among others that a podiatrist or dermatologist offer. Topical Salicylic acid can take several weeks to get rid. Other treatment are quicker but usually require local anesthesia
These skin lesions need to be evaluated and there are a number of treatments which don't require surgery or being off work to have them removed. Warts can spread to different areas of your foot as well as to family members so best to get professional treatment.
First make sure it’s a wart. If it is and not painful then could leave it alone may go away unless it’s getting bigger or multiplying. Usually warts are painful and require treatment. OTC acids help but be certain what you are dealing with. This often could be more serious and require biopsy.
Dr. Jay Mermelstein
Podiatrist (Foot and Ankle Specialist) | Primary Podiatric Medicine
Mount Vernon, NY
It’s very difficult to diagnose a skin lesion without seeing it. It is best to see a foot doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Some calluses look like a wart and some warts look like a callus.
Dr. Jay Mermelstein, DPM, DABPM
Dr. Jay Mermelstein, DPM, DABPM
You can look for topical over the counter medication which contains salicylic acid. The higher the concentration of salicylic acid, the more potent the medication. It should be applied daily to the wart, which will cause slight blistering or callusing, that can then be peeled off, removing the wart. The whole process may take 6-8 weeks. If topical mediation does not work, the you can see your local podiatrist who can apply stronger medication, or recommend surgically exciting the wart.
It’s a wart or callous. As a podiatrist for the proper diagnosis. Then treatment can all be at home by yourself.
A wart on a foot can sometimes be treated at home with an over the counter topical medication. Some warts are very resistant and need more invasive procedures. You should see a Podiatrist for further evaluation.
You could try topical salicylic acid, which is sold in most drug stores as Compound W or mediplast.
It first needs to be evaluated by a specialist in order to make sure that it truly is a wart. It can sometimes be a callus or a corn, for which the treatment is different.
A wart will hurt if you squeeze it side to side. A Podiatrist can help treat it
Hi, It could be a wart or it could be something else like a corn or callus. See your doc to determine what it really is.
There are many OTC products you can get from the pharmacy, but the best way is to have it professionally treated in office. Sometimes it is more than a mere wart and a biopsy may be indicated.
The major problem here is whether or not this growth is really a wart and not something else. I testified in a case where a patient saw 4 different healthcare providers because the last provider performed a treatment that didn't remove the wart. It turned out the "wart" was really a melanotic melanoma, a very aggressive form of skin cancer. Ultimately, the patient lost his leg all the way up to his pelvis.
Aside from cutting out the wart, there are various methods to remove a wart. Duct tape covering the wart for 6 days, remove the tape, wash the wart, and file it down with an emery board. Repeat until the wart is gone. Or ask your pharmacist for the various OTC modalities including freezing, acid, and tapes.
Beware of the one in a million "warts" that's malignant.
Rod Tomczak, MD, DPM, EdD
Aside from cutting out the wart, there are various methods to remove a wart. Duct tape covering the wart for 6 days, remove the tape, wash the wart, and file it down with an emery board. Repeat until the wart is gone. Or ask your pharmacist for the various OTC modalities including freezing, acid, and tapes.
Beware of the one in a million "warts" that's malignant.
Rod Tomczak, MD, DPM, EdD
You should have this checked by a professional. There are other things that may mimic a wart. Also most over the counter removers have directions that may cause you harm.
If you have a skin growth on the bottom of your foot, the lesion must be seen by a doctor to see if it is indeed a wart. Many different growths can appear on the sole of a foot that may be benign or even cancerous. Even if the lesion is indeed a wart, you can't treat it. It has to be properly diagnosed and may require a biopsy. You need to see a podiatrist or a dermatologist.
Most over the counter treatments are not effective in treating warts, and I have seen several patients get infections from using the over the counter treatments inappropriately or too frequently. I recommend going to see your local Podiatrist. There are several ways to treat the wart, such as freezing, acids, other topical treatments, Bleomycin injections, surgical treatment with excision and/or lasers or cautery. However, there are other foot pathologies that look like warts, and may not be. Warts are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus, and there are other skin lesions that can be acquired that are not from an infectious process. It's best to see a professional for treatment.
A lesion on the foot may or may not be a wart. I would recommend you be evaluated by a foot and ankle specialist (podiatrist) so the proper diagnosis can be made which will guide us to the most appropriate treatment
You can try over the counter treatment but may need to see a doctor to make sure it is a wart and also for different treatments.
