Alternative Treatments for Plantar Warts

Ever had a plantar wart? I've definitely experienced this painful condition and have found it a very unpleasant experience. In my case, the wart - or group of warts, to be specific - were on one foot. I couldn't take a step without feeling like I was walking on pebbles, not even in the most padded shoes. Since I'd had a plantar wart once before and gotten medical treatment for it, I picked up the phone and called my foot doctor (podiatrist). I wanted instant relief!

To my surprise, my doctor actually suggested that I try some alternative treatments before coming in for an office visit. After that, I talked to friends and learned about wart medications and remedies that I could use at home. My doctor also suggested some treatment options. Maybe you'll have the same success I did when I tried alternative remedies for my plantar warts. Of course, I'd caution anyone to consult a medical doctor for an accurate diagnosis because there are skin conditions that can mimic warts.

If you are absolutely sure you have a plantar wart, it might not hurt to try a home treatment. If so, you could possibly save yourself the cost of a doctor's visit and more expensive medications.

Alternative treatment for plantar warts - start by knowing what type of wart you have

There are at least five different types of warts so it helps to know if you've got a plantar wart. According to the definition found at the Mayo Clinic website here, plantar warts tend to occur on the feet (which was true for me) and are caused by the HPV or human papilloma virus. They aren't cancer, even though they can be very ugly - even a bit frightening - to see. Mine had dark spots in them, something my doctor told me was typical. I had more than one at a time, appearing in a group on the bottom of my right foot.

I had success with several methods of treatment and I have used some of these at the same time. You might want to experiment and see what works best for you when it comes to plantar wart removal. Perhaps you'll prefer one method - or maybe a combination of methods will work better.

Alternative remedies for plantar warts - try using an acne medication high in salicylic acid

I had wonderful results when I tried Neutrogena's Clear Pore Oil-Controlling Astringent to treat plantar warts. Yes, I used an acne medication to treat....warts. While I'm not sure how much salicylic acid it contains, it did work for my plantar warts, although it took a few weeks to get ideal results. I would take a cotton ball, soak it in the astringent and then soak my plantar warts with them. After that, I would cover them with a bandage which was also lightly coated (only the pad) with the Neutrogena solution. This worked very well.

There was another form of salicylic acid which produced even better results. This was a salicylic acid gel peel, currently costing $34.95 and available online at Amazon, made by a company called Skin Laboratory. However, it is not necessary to use a specific brand name of acne medication or peel, as long as it contains the acid. There are many types of salicylic acid acne formulas out there but I got the best results when using the strongest over the counter types I could find. You can get these treatments in gel, patch and lotion forms.

Caution and tips: Make sure you use a product that meets FDA guidelines and be wary of any products which contain unsafe or unapproved levels of salcylic acid. If you have pain or discomfort, stop treatment and consult a doctor.

Alternative treatment for plantar warts - the duct tape method (also known as duck tape)

This option was suggested by a friend and it definitely worked for my husband. He was very skeptical, even joking about it but now he truly believes in this method. The only drawback to using duct tape is that it can take up to 2 months to work, although my husband's plantar warts disappeared in only 6 weeks. He did cover his wart with duct tape in combination with the salicylic acid treatment but stopped using the acid after only 5 days. I've used only duct tape without any acid and had a wart disappear successfully with this method.

If you decide to try this method, you'll want to make sure the tape covers the wart completely. Remove and replace the tape daily. In time, you may take off the tape one day and discover the entire wart comes with it! At that point, you want to make sure the area is kept clean, dabbing it gently with an antibacterial solution and perhaps covering with a bandage until it heals completely.

Caution: some people have allergies to duct or duck tape. Discontinue use if you have any redness, swelling or unusual itching.

Another option for plantar warts - banana peels

This is among the least expensive treatments out there. Alerted by a thrifty neighbor, I admit I thought this one was ridiculous - until I tried it. Using a banana peel to treat a plantar wart is relatively easy. You want the inner peel of the banana to touch the wart. Although you can use duck or duct tape to hold the peel in place, I have also had success by simply pulling a plastic bag over the banana peel and then pulling a tight sock over the foot. My theory is that the lack of oxygen helps get rid of the plantar wart. I didn't really care why it works but was happy that it did.

Alternative remedies for plantar warts - the combination method

When my husband had a particularly stubborn series of plantar warts, we tried more than one method to get rid of them. In addition to using acne medication and duct tape, my husband took extra vitamins and paid heed to his nutrition. He cut back on foods high in sugar and also cut out any white bread or pasta products. Finally, he meditated or made time to relax twice daily. Perhaps it was just coincidence but the plantar warts disappeared in record time when he used this combination method.

Plantar warts - when to seek medical treatment

Even if you get rid of the warts, there might be times when you'd want to consult your doctor. Although we never suffered any ill effects from using alternative remedies for plantar warts, I've talked to a friend who had continued pain and discomfort even after the wart disappeared. Also, it is possible for them to return, something that never happened immediately with us. if our warts had not gone away within 4-6 weeks, we would not have hesitated to contact a doctor and we did stay in touch with one throughout our treatment. Luckily, he encouraged us to seek out alternatives and the result was less time in a doctor's office and a resolution of our wart problems.