How to Prevent Plantar Warts on Feet: 10 Essential Tips

Taking care of your foot health is essential, regardless of your hobbies and activity levels. Developing conditions such as plantar warts, small and rough growths on the balls or heels of the feet, can be uncomfortable and could lead to more serious problems over time.

In this blog, you will learn how to prevent plantar warts from developing. Read on to find our top 10 tips for lowering your risk of plantar warts and how to manage them if you find them. We will also look at the most frequently asked questions about plantar warts, including causes and symptoms.

10 Tips for How to Prevent Plantar Warts on Your Feet

Plantar warts develop on the bottom of your feet and can take a long time to first appear and start causing discomfort. According to the Mayo Clinic, plantar warts often show up on foot areas that deal with the most pressure, like the balls and heels of the feet. These slightly raised, gray or brown bumps on the feet can sometimes go away on their own, but you are likely to get them again. This is because warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). According to a scientific report, the virus that causes warts, HPV, can stay in the skin. So even if the wart goes away, the virus can stick around and cause warts in the future. . Here is what you can do to avoid plantar warts or reduce the frequency of them coming back.

1. Keep Your Feet Clean and Dry

Cleanliness is the key to keeping the human papillomavirus (HPV) away from your feet. HPV is found in places like the pool, the gym, or in locker rooms. HPV spreads easily from person to person through direct contact with warts or even by sticking on the ground or other surfaces. So, being strict with your hygiene is the key to preventing warts.

This means keeping your feet clean and dry, while also washing your hands often and staying clean. You should also ensure that you use your own cleaning items (such as wash towels), razors and nail clippers, or socks. Wet skin can get cut more easily, which increases your chances of becoming infected. This is why highly breathable materials for your socks and shoes are essential to keeping your feet dry to prevent cuts.

During workouts, such as walks and runs, always ensure you wear breathable, moisture-wicking materials like merino wool. Vim & Vigr merino wool compression socks keep your feet dry and sweat free, which reduces the risk of infection, blisters, and discomfort. Merino wool also has the added benefit of being antibacterial, according to a scientific report. Finally, do not share socks - again, to avoid the transmission of the virus.

Discover antibacterial, hypoallergenic merino wool compression socks for all activities.

2. Promote Good Blood Flow

Keeping your circulatory system healthy ensures that your feet and lower limbs do not swell up, avoids the formation of blood clots and varicose veins, and improves your recovery from exercise. It also helps reduce inflammation. Knee-high compression socks with graduated pressure are an excellent multi-tasking garment to help you have good circulation. Compression socks promote blood flow out from the legs so you can enjoy your walks and runs without fear of swollen ankles, while also massaging your muscles and reducing fatigue. Moreover, if you opt for high-quality materials like merino wool or our special blend of moisture-wicking nylon, then you are also keeping your feet clean and dry, which is essential for avoiding an HPV infection.

A boost in blood flow might also help your feet recover from plantar warts - particularly if you have had them removed with surgery or cryotherapy (where the doctor can destroy them using liquid nitrogen or argon gas). However, there is little evidence to suggest this.

3. Avoid Walking Barefoot in Public Areas

Walking barefoot can expose you to infections, particularly in public spaces like the gym or a public swimming pool. Coupled with your feet being sweaty or wet from swimming or showering, this increases the risk of developing plantar warts. HPV tends to thrive in moist and warm environments. Protect your feet by wearing flip flops as you go from your locker to the shower or pool. When you are exercising, keep your feet dry in moisture-wicking socks and breathable shoes.

4. Support Your Immune System

People with lower immunity or those suffering from an autoimmune disease are more at risk of becoming infected with HPV and developing plantar warts. The Cleveland Clinic states that those over 65 are also more at risk of developing warts.

While healthy blood flow also supports your immune system, you can ensure your immune system is healthy by taking supplements such as a high-quality multivitamin, according to a scientific review. Also, be sure to eat a balanced diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables so that you can absorb immunity-boosting vitamin C naturally. Vitamin D (found in fatty fish, eggs, and mushrooms, among others) is also good for improving immune function while reducing excess inflammation. Speak to your doctor about what supplements are right for you if you cannot get enough of these vitamins in your diet naturally.

5. Don’t Share Personal Items with Others

Certain items, such as cleaning and personal hygiene tools, can easily transport HPV from one person to another. Do not share things like nail clippers and razors, where you are likely to encounter someone’s blood. Unclean towels could also carry HPV, as they can graze over warts and could transmit the virus to others.

Wear compression socks to protect your feet at the gym.

6. Don’t Touch Your Warts

If you notice a plantar wart, you may be tempted to touch it or pick at it. This can spread warts to your hands and any other part of your body you touch afterwards, especially if you have cuts. Covering warts with a bandage or a wrap is a simple and effective way to limit the chance of warts spreading on your body or to other people. Some people prefer to use athletic tape to cover their warts - it is more flexible and can give you a little cushioning for when you step on the wart.

7. Use Clean Tools When Caring for Your Feet

It goes without saying that clean tools are essential for staying infection-free. If someone else has used your nail clipper or scissors, you should sterilize them with rubbing alcohol between uses. This ensures that you are avoiding the chance for infection and development of plantar warts. It is even more important in early stages when you may not have even noticed a wart on the bottom of your foot yet.

8. Treat Cuts and Scrapes Promptly

To avoid any open wound getting infected with HPV, it is important to treat it right away. According to one medical report, HPV typically needs to enter your body through a cut before it can infect you. In public places like a gym, you should stop what you are doing if you get cut. Then, clean the cut with soap and water. Then, use rubbing alcohol or disinfectant clean before you cover any wound with a clean bandage to minimize the chances of viruses reaching it.

9. Use Disinfectant Sprays

Disinfectant sprays can help keep shoes free of potential viruses and will reduce your risk of getting plantar warts. One scientific study found that hypochlorite disinfectant spray is one of the few disinfectant sprays that kill HPV. So be sure that the disinfectant spray you use has hypochlorite so you can prevent warts on your feet or body.

It is also a good idea to use disinfectant sprays in your running shoes, even when you regularly wash them, because these sprays can also prevent bacteria growing in them once you start sweating.

Switch to merino wool running socks to avoid bacteria and plantar warts.

10. See a Podiatrist

If you have any doubts about whether the growths on your feet are plantar warts or if your warts become particularly painful or uncomfortable, visit a podiatrist. They will diagnose you correctly and suggest any treatments for plantar warts you can use at home. They can also advise about preventative strategies for preventing plantar warts, good choices of socks and shoes, and any other helpful information like orthotic insoles that can take pressure off parts of your feet.

FAQs

What Are Plantar Warts and What Causes Them?

Plantar warts are rough bumps that form on the soles of your feet, particularly on the balls of the feet or on the heels. They are not harmful but can become painful because of the pressure you apply when walking on them. They appear when you become infected with the human papillomavirus, usually because the virus has entered the skin through a cut or scrape.

People most at risk of plantar warts fall in the following categories:

• Children and teenagers
• Those with a lowered immunity
• Those suffering from an autoimmune disease
• People 65 and older
• White (Caucasian) individuals

Runners, walkers, and people who go to public places to exercise (gyms, pools, basketball courts) can also be at risk, as they either spend a lot of time with sweaty or wet feet in public. Wet skin is more susceptible to getting a cut or scrape and then picking up an infection, especially if walking barefoot (e.g., going to a shower or while changing in the locker room).

What Are the Symptoms of Plantar Warts?

Typically, the first symptom of plantar warts does not become noticeable until you’ve been infected with HPV for some time. Here is what you can expect:

• A rough bump, sometimes looking like a small cauliflower, and thickening
• Discoloration (pink, yellow, purple, brown, or gray)
• Brown or black dots on the wart - these are small, dried blood clots
• Pain or tenderness in the affected area
• Discomfort
• Bleeding

You can sometimes have multiple warts growing together to form a “mosaic wart.”

How are Plantar Warts Typically Treated?

Visit a healthcare provider as soon as you find these bumps on your feet. They will either diagnose you on sight or perform a biopsy to confirm the nature of the wart. While warts may go away by themselves over time, there is always the risk of them spreading and/or returning because the HPV will still be present in your body.

Here are treatment options commonly used against plantar warts:

• Cryotherapy - a doctor will use liquid nitrogen or argon gas to freeze and destroy the wart.
• Immunotherapy - helping your immune system fight the HPV with the use of a topical cream.
• Laser treatment - destroying the wart with a laser.
• Electrocautery - burning the wart with an electric current.

You can also have surgery to have the wart cut out or apply topical liquid medicine which “kills” the wart by cutting off its blood supply, for the doctor to then remove it later.

However, there are also home remedies you can try. Duct tape can be used to remove layers of the wart, which can then allow you to scrape off the remainder of it with an exfoliating brush or pull it out with tweezers. You can also use salicylic acid to break it down. Finally, some people apply apple cider vinegar to plantar warts, which helps exfoliate the skin and kill off bacteria. Again, the goal is to eventually be able to scrub or pull out the wart when its size has reduced considerably.

Please keep in mind that it is always best to check with a medical professional before applying these home remedies, especially if you have any doubts about your symptoms or how to manage plantar warts.

References

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2024). Plantar Warts. Mayo Clinic. Read it here.

InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Overview: Warts. [Updated 2023 Jan 11]. Read it here.

Vlahovic, T. C., & Khan, M. T. (2016). The Human Papillomavirus and Its Role in Plantar Warts: A Comprehensive Review of Diagnosis and Management. Clinics in podiatric medicine and surgery, 33(3), 337–353. Read it here.

Ivankovic, T., Rajic, A., Ercegovic Razic, S., Rolland du Roscoat, S., & Skenderi, Z. (2022). Antibacterial Properties of Non-Modified Wool, Determined and Discussed in Relation to ISO 20645:2004 Standard. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 27(6), 1876. Read it here.

Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Plantar Warts. Read it here.

Mitra, S., Paul, S., Roy, S., Sutradhar, H., Bin Emran, T., Nainu, F., Khandaker, M. U., Almalki, M., Wilairatana, P., & Mubarak, M. S. (2022). Exploring the Immune-Boosting Functions of Vitamins and Minerals as Nutritional Food Bioactive Compounds: A Comprehensive Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 27(2), 555. Read it here.

Meyers, J., Ryndock, E., Conway, M. J., Meyers, C., & Robison, R. (2014). Susceptibility of high-risk human papillomavirus type 16 to clinical disinfectants. The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 69(6), 1546–1550. Read it here.