Home Remedies for Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are very painful, but natural cures and home remedies can bring soothing relief. Of the various types of warts that grow on the human body, most do not cause pain, which is why plantar warts are a very rare type. Because they are located on the sole of the foot, plantar warts can cause an almost intolerable pain. Of course, prevention is the best way to avoid the contracting a plantar wart. However, if one does develop, natural cures are the safest way of treating them. To understand how to successfully avoid and treat plantar warts, it is best to gain a clear understanding of what they are, what causes them and the symptoms that accompany them.

A wart is a skin growth that can grow on virtually any part of the body. A wart that specifically grows beneath the skin's surface on the sole of the foot is called a plantar wart or a flat wart.

An invading virus that enters the skin through an abrasion or cut located on the sole of the foot causes a plantar wart. It is not uncommon for the original cut to be so small that a person is unaware of its presence. It is also not uncommon for a flat wart to grow in that area for several days before a person knows that they have a plantar wart infection. Because plantars warts grow beneath the skin's surface on the sole, as repeated pressure is applied to the foot, a callous begins to form a protective barrier on top of the wart, which eventually causes an intense pain in the foot.

Flat warts aren't immediately noticeable. As they begin to grow beneath the skin's surface, however, the following symptoms may be evident:

• Intense, sharp pain when walking (like stepping on glass or a tack)

• A thick, callous on the sole of the feet (sometimes black spots are evident on the callous)

Some of the most common home remedies for plantars warts or flat warts include:

• Applying duct tape to a plantar wart daily and using a pumice stone on the wart upon removal can halt the wart's growth and reduce its size

• Applying apple cider vinegar to the wart daily will gradually reduce a wart (can take between several days and a month, depending upon the wart's size)

• Applying tea tree oil to a flat wart will help dry it up

• Apply a banana peel directly to the area of the plantar wart daily and use a bandage to keep it in place until the wart disappears

• Rub a slice of a raw potato over a wart several times daily until the wart disappears

• Make dietary adjustments to strengthen the immune system