How to cure Plantar Warts aka Foot Warts

Clinical studies prove that 78% of those (including children 5 and older) treated with duct tape alone with no additional medication or supplemental therapy, lose the plantar wart (aka foot wart) in a varying 2 to 3 month time frame.

Study 2 shows that 94%-99% of people (again, including children 5 and older) lose their plantar wart with a Combination Method of DUCT TAPE and an application of SALICYLIC ACID, (aspirin) which is an acid found in many over the counter wart bandages to speed up the process.. 

The best method for fast removal of a Plantar wart/Foot wart is the following:

1) Soak foot in warm, soapy water for 15 minutes -as warm as possible without becoming hot.  Note: Be careful with children, not to make the water too hot.  Test the water prior to soaking childs foot.

2) Dry foot thoroughly, using towel and hairdryer to get the foot and toes completely dry.  Use a hair dryer so that you dry the foot and toes completely.  Do not put the dryer setting on hot, but rather on warm or keep the dryer a distance of 10 inches or more in order to apply a warm temperature to dry the whole foot. (This will also help the tape stick to the skin)

3) Apply Salicylic acid in the form of paste or preferably a band-aid type patch with thick pad which helps to keep some pressure off wart when standing or walking, Use a patch such as those commonly found in pharmacy.  (there are many products, but the one used in this method was the one that has been around for many years.  Since this is not intended to advertise for a particular product, I will not mention the name but it's initials are C.W., this will work just fine for the part of the method used)  Be certain to apply directly to the wart without allowing the salicylic acid to touch area surrounding or outside the wart itself. The acid will deteriorate and render the healthy skin tender, this is not desired and may cause an additional problem.

4) Cover the salicylic acid pad with duct tape cut to size. The duct tape should be cut just enough to cover the wart with salicylic patch, with enough tape left around the edges so it can stick to the unaffected skin. Use this for the first 48 hours and then remove the duct tape and acid patch.  During this 48 hours, the acid will begin to kill the virus and the duct tape will keep air out.  After this 48 hours, soak the foot in warm soapy water, rub the dead skin off wart with emery board, keep bandage and tape off overnight that night.  Use either an emery board or pumice stone to gently rub the dead skin off the top of the wart. With children use an emery board and rub in one direction, then the opposite direction if the child does not demonstrate pain, continue until dead skin is gone.  Approx 3 minutes of gentle rubbing.

5) Apply the duct tape now without the salicylic acid patch.  Press the tape so that it sticks to the skin to secure it well enough to stay in place, thus cutting off the air to the wart. Without oxygen, the virus will sufficate and not be able to continue growth. Since the acid has started the deterioration of the wart, the duct tape will allow the body's own immune system to target and overpower the viral infection quickly to impede it's growth and subsequently cause the virus to die. When the tape comes off, or a bath/shower is needed, remove the tape and once again soak the foot in warm, soapy water and again you will want to use either an emery board or pumice stone to gently rub the dead skin off the top of the wart. Again,with children use an emery board and rub in one direction, then the opposite direction if the child does not demonstrate pain.  Do so gently and carefully so as not to disrupt or affect the nerve since this will cause a good deal of pain. [Especially take caution with children if using a pumice stone.  Rubbing too hard can cause needless pain on the wart.  All you want to accomplish here is removal of any dead skin, if it hurts, you're rubbing live skin or the blood vessel(s) or nerve, so stop.  Remember! The wart may have a nerve beneath it or attached to it, so you do NOT want to scrape or rub the stone with more than a gentle motion. In relation to the water temperature, viruses are sensitive to heat and so the warmer the water, the better.  Then, as mentioned in previous step dry thoroughly.

Note: Remember with children, not to make the water too hot.  Test the water prior to soaking childs foot.

6) Continue with duct tape alone, for the next 1-2 weeks.  Take the tape off each night and reapply in the morning. Every couple days, soak foot in warm water and rub dead skin off if present. 

7) On the third week, if the duct tape has not caused the wart to come off, use the salicylic acid patch for another period of 48 hours straight.  Soak foot after that 48 hour period and again rub off dead skin with emery or pumice. By this time you should notice the wart is coming off.  You should at the minimum, see the skin around the wart is cracked and breaking free from the rest of the skin.

8) This is the stage when each person's wart differs.  Some will peel off with the last salicylic pad.  Others will need to continue several days with duct tape and the wart will peel off with duct tape.

9) After the wart peels off with bandage or duct tape, you will want to apply some Triple Antibiotic ointment and a regular bandaid to assure no bacteria enters the area where the wart was.

10) Allow to heal with time as a normal cut or abrasion, keeping it clean and free of debris.  Only If the area becomes red or irritated, use another application of Triple Antibiotic ointment, but no bandaid should be necessary.

ADVERSE REACTIONS TO WATCH FOR ARE: 1) Irritation or allergic reaction to duct tape - remove duct tape and apply antihistamine cream around wart - not on wart. Avoid using duct tape or any patch for several days monitoring the wart and skin surrounding wart.  After an application of antihistamine cream, the irritation/swelling will normally subside with 12 hour period.  To be safe, I recommend to refrain from using anything for 2-3 days while still monitoring the wart.  Then continue with therapy.

POSSIBLE REACTIONS: 1) Itching: This is sometime caused by allergic reaction to tape, since a wart should not really itch.  In order to minimize itching use benzocaine spray (Dermoplast) around wart with the use of a cotton tip, then clean the skin around the wart with warm water and dry thoroughly to allow the duct tape to stick again. Use lidocaine patch cut to the form of the wart if lidocaine patch is available. 2) to minimize pain when pressure is applied to wart, you may use several layers of tape to form a thicker pad when walking.