Since warts generally go away on their own within months or years leaving no scar, treatment ought to be conservative, with destructive approaches being reserved after all else fails.
- For temporary relief of pain, place a doughnut-shaped piece of moleskin around the wart. This can be purchased at a drugstore.
- Since the source of discomfort in most symptomatic plantar warts is the thickened layer of horny skin between the nerve-bearing tissues and the ground, simple nontraumatic removal of this material is a good alternative. This can be accomplished with a pumice stone or some other type of abrasive material after the sole of the foot has been soaked in water for 20 minutes to soften the wart. Since the thickened keratin is identical to the keratin found in any callus, its painless, bloodless removal by carefully paring with a corn or callus trimmer is a reasonable alternative. People with diabetes or peripheral artery disease or individuals who have numbness due to peripheral neuropathy should avoid paring.
- Salicylic acid
- Another technique to remove the excess keratin is an over-the-counter salicylic acid preparation, available at the pharmacy in liquid, gel, pad, or ointment form. Some familiar brand names are Dr. Scholl's Wart Remover, Compound W, Freezone, and Wart-Off. Be sure to follow package directions because over-application of these products can burn the skin. Periodically sand and retreat the wart. It can take several months to get rid of a large one using these treatments. Warts can spread, so monitor your feet closely and treat warts when they are small.
