- The strain of HPV that causes plantar warts isn't very contagious. However, it thrives in warm, moist environments. The virus is most likely to flourish in showers, locker rooms or poolside.
- Like other infectious diseases, the plantar wart virus is contracted through cuts and scrapes on the skin. Not only can it enter the body from damp places, it can be transmitted from person to person through skin shed from the wart or blood from the wart.
- Not all plantar warts look alike. If you suspect you have one, look for any of these traits: bumps that interfere with the "fingerprint" ridges of your foot, hard growths with a rough, flat surface and obvious boundaries, fleshy or grainy bumps on sole of your foot, or grayish-brown lumps with black pinpoints.
- Consult a doctor if you experience pain with your wart, if it changes color or shape, if it is resistant to over-the-counter remedies, if it multiplies, if it interferes with your lifestyle, or if you have diabetes or another circulatory disorder.
- Everyone's immune systems react differently to HPV. This is why one member of a family can have plantar warts, share the shower with everyone else, yet no one else contracts the virus.
