It is never a good time to discover you have a wart, but if you’ve just found one, at least now you can spring into action. Warts are uncomfortable, especially those on the soles of your feet, which are called plantar warts. As persistent as these things can seem, it is possible to get rid of them easily.

The Basics

Plantar warts are caused by different strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV. There are about 100 strains of the virus, and the strains that cause plantar warts are not the same as the strains that cause genital warts. The virus really doesn’t do anything on healthy, unbroken skin, other than transport itself to other parts of the floor or anything your feet touch. But if there’s a microscopic cut or other injury on your foot, then the virus can get inside your body and lead to a wart.

Symptoms

Symptoms are not always obvious if you’ve never had plantar warts before. While they can be distinct, warty bumps on the sole of your foot, they can also masquerade as painful calluses. The wart has a hard core, but if you’re constantly stepping on it, your weight can make your skin on your foot sink down around the wart, creating the appearance of a flat callus instead of a bumpy wart. The skin on either form will look dry and rough.

Treatments

Patches that contain salicylic acid are common treatments; place these patches over the wart for several weeks and watch as the skin around the wart gradually and painlessly detaches from your foot. If the over-the-counter treatments don’t work, a podiatrist can try to freeze or cut out the wart.

You don’t have to suffer with these warts. While they can recur, it’s more likely that the wart will be a one-time thing if you take proper care of yourself. Wash socks, sheets, and anything else your bare feet have touched in hot water, and stop walking barefoot to avoid picking up the virus again. Also go back to the podiatrist for a follow-up or two to ensure the wart isn’t recurring.