Plantar warts, known medically as verruca plantaris, are non-cancerous skin growths on the soles of the feet caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They often present as rough, hard bumps that may resemble cauliflower and can be painful due to their location on pressure points of the foot. The virus enters through cuts or breaks in the skin, leading to infection. 

Signs and symptoms 

Symptoms of plantar warts include a rough, thick surface, discoloration, black specks (wart seeds), pain, discomfort and sometimes bleeding. They are deeper in the skin compared to other warts, which can make them more difficult to treat. 

Removal options and professional treatments 

Removal options vary, with some warts disappearing on their own as the immune system combats the virus. Professional treatments include cryotherapy, immunotherapy, laser treatment, electrocautery, topical medication and surgical removal. Each method has its approach to eliminating the wart, from freezing to burning or cutting off the affected tissue. 

Cryotherapy. This involves applying extreme cold, typically liquid nitrogen or argon gas, to freeze and destroy the wart tissue​​. 

Immunotherapy. A treatment that stimulates the immune system to fight off the HPV causing the wart. It might involve applying a chemical like diphencyprone (DCP) to the wart, which causes a mild allergic reaction and helps the wart resolve​​. 

Laser treatment. A method using laser light to destroy the blood vessels inside the wart, cutting off its blood supply and ultimately killing the wart tissue​​. 

Electrocautery. Involves burning off the wart using an electric current​​. 

Topical medication. Application of a liquid medicine such as cantharidin which causes a blister to form under the wart, depriving it of blood supply. The dead wart tissue is removed later​​. 

Surgical removal. Under local anaesthesia, the wart is cut out using a surgical knife and a curette or tweezers. 

The choice of treatment depends on the wart’s characteristics, such as its size, number and response to previous treatments, as well as the patient’s preference and pain tolerance. You should seek professional advice about plantar warts to determine the most appropriate treatment method. 

You can consult with us here at Foot Lab Podiatry. We can thoroughly examine the signs and symptoms and first confirm if there are indeed plantar warts. Then, we can talk about the available treatment options and see which one is the most appropriate for you, depending on your specific condition, pain tolerance and preference.