There are many reasons why you want to remove plantar warts. For one, they are unsightly skin deformities that are very uncomfortable to walk with. Second is the fact that they are contagious and may spread all over your body.

Plantar warts are caused by the human papilloma virus attacking your feet. These lesions usually take the form of a cauliflower and will have dark dots where blood will come out once the wart is cut. The dots are abnormal capillaries caused by the virus. People get warts through direct contact with HPV, of which there are many different types. The type that causes plantar warts likes to hang out in damp, warm environments - the kind that arouse your suspicion anyway, like public showers, swimming pools, locker rooms, your roommates shower mat, or communal shoes (if you’re sharing shoes with people, you might want to inspect their feet first). If you walk barefoot through these areas, you could acquire plantar warts.

Person-to-person contact can spread plantar warts as well. If you have a sleeping partner, remember that plantar warts never sleep! The virus can pass from foot to foot, or from sheets to your foot.

You chances of getting plantar warts increase if your feet are dry and cracked, or your immune system weakened. The more often you are exposed to the virus, the more likely it is that you will develop plantar warts (there is no “build-up” of resistance to the virus through frequent exposure). It’s important to point out that not everyone is as vulnerable to plantar warts (or warts in general) as others. Some of us are just lucky! The medical community is puzzled as to why this is the case, but predisposition to plantar warts seemingly plays a role in our acquisition of them.

There are many ways to get rid of warts. Removal of plantar warts is no different than treatment used in other ways to remove warts. Some have even been used many centuries ago.

A common way to remove planter warts-or any warts, for that matter-is to apply a piece of a duct tape. This strategy stimulates the skin cells to develop immunity over the virus. However, the duct tape must be placed for weeks on top of the area. Removal of plantar warts using this method is usually a hit or miss. There have been many conflicting studies over their effectiveness and it may be a waste of time.

Electrocautery (or electro surgery) is a modified form of hot cautery used to get rid of warts. Cautery is an old medical method of closing a wound or removing a small part of it. In this case, an electrified tip of a needle is exposed to the wart in order to kill the skin cells. Once performed, the wart and the small surrounding skin will be removed for tests. Nevertheless, due to the electrocution and heat, the wound may appear bloated after a while.

Removal of plantar warts using this method may depend on the size of the wart. Usually, it takes about six weeks for the lesion to heal completely. Another disadvantage of the method, aside from the length it takes for the wound to heal, is the pain associated, even if anesthesia is applied, and the scar that forms around the skin area.

The best way to remove warts is to know about them. You need to arm yourself with knowledge of how to remove plantar warts. You should take the time to learn about the virus and how you can cure it. Also, you should learn how to remove the warts safely. It may be best to try natural methods to remove plantar warts before you try the more abrasive over the counter or prescription methods. These methods will always be there for you to try so using a less painful way to remove plantar warts may be the best approach to take.