Plantar Warts and Palmar Warts

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on June 26, 2024
Written by Kathleen Doheny
4 min read

Plantar warts and palmar warts are noncancerous skin growths caused by a viral infection in the top layer of the skin. The culprit is a strain of virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). Many HPV strains exist, and those that cause common warts on your hands and feet are not the same strains that cause genital warts.

Plantar warts and palmar warts are common, especially in children. These warts are named for where they appear on the body. Palmar warts occur on the hands and plantar warts on the bottom of the foot.

Virtually everyone will have a wart (or several) someplace at some time in their lives.

On average, plantar warts and palmar warts are small, about the size of a pencil eraser. But some warts grow bigger. Sometimes, plantar warts can grow in clusters; those are called mosaic warts.

Sometimes, corns or calluses are mistaken for a palmar or plantar wart. In some warts, little black dots appear, leading people to call them "seed" warts. Actually, the black dots are little blood vessels that have grown up into the wart. Warts don’t really have "seeds."

Plantar warts usually don't stick up above the skin as much as warts on the hand, partly because of the pressure of walking and its flattening effect.

Warts are spread from person to person. The transmission can be indirect. For instance, a child with a wart on their hand may touch a playground surface that is then touched by another child, and the wart spreads. Similarly, if a person with a plantar wart uses a shower without wearing shower shoes, another person may develop a wart after using the same shower. The risk of getting a hand or foot wart from another person is small.

A person's risk of getting a wart varies. Those with a weakened immune system are more likely to get it. But those with healthy immune systems can also develop warts.

Some people mistakenly think plantar warts or palmar warts are malignant. But they aren't harmful. Eventually, in about 2 years, most warts go away without treatment. Warts can, however, cause irritation or minor pain, depending on their location.

Wart treatments

Plantar warts and palmar warts often finally go away without treatment. If common skin warts bother you, you can treat them in several ways.

Doctor's treatments are generally the most effective. Your dermatologist can perform treatments such as:

  • Freezing the wart off with liquid nitrogen
  • Killing the blood supply to the wart with a laser light
  • Burning the wart off with an electric current
  • Surgically removing the wart and its roots with a scalpel 
  • Applying or injecting medicines to strengthen the immune system so it can clear your body of the virus

Over-the-counter remedies for warts

Over-the-counter (OTC) wart treatments include a medication that is applied topically (gel, ointment, lotion) and usually includes salicylic acid, which works by peeling the wart. Another option is an OTC freezing spray that kills the tissue. These remedies work about 50% of the time.

Duct tape remedy

Home treatments for plantar warts aren't always fast or easy. Some home treatments can take a few weeks up to a few months. Foot warts are challenging to treat because most of the wart lies below the skin surface.

Duct tape is one home remedy. Put a small strip over the wart and leave it on for a few days. Then, remove the tape, soak the wart in water, and then gently debride it with a pumice stone or emery board. Repeat the process many times until the wart is gone. This may take a couple of months. Don’t expect miracles with this type of treatment since it may not work much better than a placebo.

Even if a treatment is successful, the wart can reappear.

If a wart is not bothersome, doctors say it can be left alone. With time, the wart will likely disappear on its own, thanks to your immune system.

Even though plantar and palmar warts can feel embarrassing and uncomfortable, they're not dangerous. Most warts will go away on their own eventually, but you can get rid of them faster by trying out home remedies or visiting your doctor for in-office treatment.

How can you prevent plantar and palmar warts in the first place?

To avoid getting plantar and palmar warts in the first place, wear flip-flop sandals in locker rooms, and do your best to keep your feet clean and dry. If you already have a wart, try not to pick at it so you won't spread the virus to other parts of your body. If you do touch your wart, wash your hands carefully afterward.