Medical science has advanced to great extents. Many minor problems can be resolved at home with the help of non-prescription medicines and creams such as Warts. These bumps may appear small but they are quite painful. Fortunately, there are a range of ways to treat them including home remedies and doctor’s treatment.
What are Warts?
Warts are specific bumps that are caused on the skin when the human papillomavirus hits the human skin. There are more than 100 kinds of this virus that can cause warts. There are many types of Warts such as Common Warts, Plantar Warts, Flat Warts, Filiform Warts, and Periungual Warts. They are not usually dangerous but they are very painful. Warts can become dangerous if they are grown in sensitive areas such as the genitals which may lead to cervical cancer.
About Plantar Warts
Plantar Warts are one of the most painful warts because they are on the sole of a person’s feet. As a result, a person becomes quite uncomfortable when they are walking. These warts grow inside the skin and not outside. A small hole indicates that a plantar wart has emerged. Warts may be crusty and dry with a yellowish appearance. According to leading healthcare professionals, most people have at least one plantar wart at some time during their life.
How do Plantar Warts Form?
Plantar Warts are a result of HPV 1, HPV 2, HPV 4, HPV 60, and HPV 63. When this virus comes in contact with the sole, it results in the creation of a wart. You may get this virus from putting your feet in places that are warm and moist. This includes the area around swimming pools, constantly wet surfaces, and other similar places.
Pool tiles are a major reason why HPV could be attacking your skin because the area is moist and you won’t be wearing any shoes on this surface. People who have cracked skin are more likely to get warts because the virus can enter the skin directly. The good news is that plantar warts can be effectively treated with various medical procedures.
Treatment of Plantar Warts
Although Plantar Warts are naturally healed after some time, in particular cases, they require treatment which includes the following.
Use Freeze Liquid Creams
One of the easiest ways to treat a plantar wart at home is by using a cream that could freeze the wart. There are various creams and liquids for this purpose such as Duofilm, De-Wart, and others. The main ingredients used in these creams include Salicylic Acid and Lactic Acid. All you need to do is to clean the sole and apply the cream to the wart. Spread it a little and let it rest. You will feel a cold sensation and after some time a film will form over the wart.
Not only is this procedure quite easy but it is painful as well. Just repeat the process once or twice every day. Depending upon the size of your wart, you will start to feel the difference within one week. Usually, these creams soften the skin of the wart after which the wart is peeled off. For the best results, we recommend doing the daily application on the damp sole. The best way to do this is by having your feet soaked in a bucket of water for 5 minutes and then applying the liquid after drying it.
Read more about H-Warts, a well-known formula used to treat warts – Is H-Warts Effective for Removing Warts?
Use of Essential Oils
One of the natural therapies recommended for the treatment of plantar warts is the use of essential oils. There are various types of oils which contain nutrients and chemical composition with antiviral properties that help in the treatment of plantar warts. Essential oils that have been recommended for the treatment of warts include Neem Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Cinnamon Bark Oil, Oregano Oil, Frankincense Oil, Clove Oil, and Cypress Oil.
However, it is always better to take precautionary measures first before actually trying out an essential oil. We recommend applying the oil on a small part of the skin at first and see if something happens. Some people are allergic and may suffer skin irritation, redness, burning sensation, and dizziness as well. If an oil works well on a small area, it means you can proceed with it. People with specific conditions such as Pregnancy, Diabetes, Asthma, and other health conditions should consider taking advice from a doctor before applying these oils to plantar warts. Do not use them on infants.
Cold Spray
Various types of cold sprays can be used to freeze warts. If the plantar wart is small, the cold spray will be helpful in removing the wart immediately. By using a cold spray, you are simply freezing it all which allows you to scrape off the skin surface of the wart. Repeated sessions help in the complete elimination of the plantar wart.
The best part? You can get a cold spray from any nearby store without a prescription. This is way cheaper than medical procedures such as laser therapy or surgery. The success rate of cold spray is good and you can try it out as a simple home remedy before visiting a doctor. Keep in mind that the cold spray is recommended for plantar warts and common warts only. Do not use cold spray or salicylic acid products on sensitive areas especially in the case of genital warts.
You can learn more about Salicylic Acid here – What is Salicylic Acid?
Liquid Nitrogen Treatment
When Warts become big and not cured of home remedies, you need to get yourself to a doctor for expert treatment. Skincare experts use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart and then take it out from the skin. Freezing will help in creating a blister around the wart which is ultimately killing the wart. Unlike the usage of creams and liquids, this process is quite fast and one session would be enough to remove the wart. However, if the wart has grown too much, there may be more than one session needed.
However, many people don’t prefer this solution because it is quite painful. Not everyone can deal with excessively cold nitrogen coming in contact with their skin. A few people may also show allergic reactions so it is better to consult a doctor thoroughly and explain to them your medical history to get the best outcome.
Laser Therapy
Another medical procedure used in certain countries to eliminate plantar warts is with the help of laser therapy. This process may be expensive but has very low pain for the patient. Your doctor will simply use the laser to burn the blood vessels which are supporting the growth of the wart. The wart will fall off after the process is done and a person is expected to recover fully within a month.
However, in certain cases, the wart may be too big and laser therapy could bring bleeding which may extend for up to one week. Some people also have sensitive skin and laser therapy is not suitable for them. There are various types of laser therapy which include Pulled-Dye Laser, Carbon Dioxide Laser, Erbium, and Neodymium as well.
Surgical Treatment
If nothing else works for you, the last option to consider would be surgical treatment. It is a procedure that is extremely painful which is why anesthesia is given by the doctors. Depending on the size of the wart, there can be minor scarring on the skin as well. Surgery removes warts in one go.
There are two surgical ways to undergo this process. One of them is with the help of a surgical knife which is used to cut off the part of the skin where the plantar wart is growing. The other treatment requires electricity usage as electricity is used to burn the wart. After it is burned, there is no pain and the wart ends eventually. However, there are very rare cases of surgical treatments for warts as they are not usually strong enough to resist the other treatments that are mentioned above.
Conclusion
Plantar Warts are not something you should be worried about too much because there are so many ways to treat them. For some people, it may require only a $5 bottle of salicylic acid while for others it may require a full-scale laser therapy treatment. Keep in mind that warts can regrow as well. The quicker you react to them, the lower are the chances of them spreading and becoming difficult to eliminate. Stay well!