Stomping out plantar warts

I get warts on the bottom of my feet. How can I treat and prevent them?

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Having a plantar wart can feel like walking on a small rock with every step, said Dr. Steven Daveluy, a professor of dermatology at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Unlike other types of warts—small, non-cancerous growths that can crop up on various parts of the body—plantar warts develop only on the soles of your feet. They form small, round, rough, and often flat growths on the skin, with tiny blood clots in the center that look like black dots.

Plantar warts are common and several treatment options are available. But they are often stubborn, sometimes taking months to go away, Dr. Daveluy said. Here is what to know about getting rid of them.

How do plantar warts develop?

All warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can live on various surfaces—especially communal ones like those in public pools, showers, or gyms. If you walk around barefoot with any sort of break in the skin and you are exposed to the virus, a plantar wart could develop, said Dr. Jacqueline Prevete, a podiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital.

Standing or walking can put pressure on the wart, forcing it to grow inwards, Dr. Daveluy said. Warts on other parts of the body, in contrast, grow outwards, forming a bump.

Plantar warts can appear at any time of the year. But Dr. Saylee Tulpule, a podiatrist and spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, said she sees a huge influx of warts in the autumn, just after people have enjoyed barefoot summer activities at pools or hotels, for example.