Removing And Avoiding Plantar Warts

If you have been experiencing the pain and embarrassment from having plantar warts on your feet, you are most likely looking for a way to make them disappear. Here is a summary of how plantar warts are contracted, what can be done to remove them, and how to keep them from returning.

Who Is At Risk?

Plantar warts are caused by a virus. It is prevalent in areas where you would walk around barefoot through moist, dirty surfaces. Places like locker rooms and saunas are known breeding grounds for the plantar wart virus to grow. In order to contract the virus, you need to have small or almost invisible cuts or open skin areas on the base of your foot.

When you walk through an area where the virus is growing, it gets into your skin and grows into a hard, flat, painful wart. Some people are immune to this type of virus. Sports enthusiasts and teenagers are often at risk because of the increased usage of locker rooms and swimming pools where the virus lurks.

How Can A Plantar Wart Be Removed?

To relieve the pain of a plantar wart, it is recommended to see a podiatrist like the one from http://www.advancedfootclinic.org. There are over the counter wart removing medications you can try, but you risk hurting healthy skin in order to remove the wart. A podiatrist may be able to prescribe a better wart removing medication and will be able to supervise the administration to make sure it is contained on the wart and not on skin around the affected area.

In many cases, a podiatrist will advise you to have the wart removed surgically. This is done in an out-patient setting using a local anesthesia to numb the area before using a laser to remove the wart. This type of treatment will eliminate scarring.

How Can Plantar Warts Be Avoided?

When walking around, always wear shoes or sandals on your feet to avoid getting plantar warts. Be especially diligent in areas where other people walk around without shoes. Keep a pair of flip-flops on hand for these occasions. Do your best to keep your feet clean and dry. Change your socks daily to avoid bacteria. If you get a cut on your foot, be sure to keep it bandaged until the skin has completely healed. If you know of someone else that has warts, stay away from them! Do not touch another person's wart as they are contagious.

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