Plantar warts are painful growths that grow on the underside of the foot. They are caused by HPV, the same virus responsible for a variety of wart conditions in the body. HPV enters the body through a small cut or scrape, and in some people it leads to plantar warts. Unlike regular warts, plantar warts can grow deep into the foot, with a strong root that causes pain when pressure is applied to the wart while walking. Over time, if a plantar wart grows on the ball of the foot or on the heel, it can become too painful to walk. The plantar wart can become irritated, inflamed, or turn a brownish-black color. Seeking a medical doctor's attention is important when dealing with plantar warts, but the standard treatment involves freezing the wart and letting it die, or cutting out the entire wart — all the way down to the core. Because plantar warts can have deep roots, this can be an extremely painful surgery, so try first to treat them naturally. Here are a few steps to start taking care of your plantar warts.
Wash the area very carefully and soak the foot for at least twenty minutes in a warm foot bath with epsom salts. Doing this right before bedtime is ideal.
Dry the foot and examine the plantar wart. Is it infected? If so, do not use tea tree oil. Call a doctor and schedule an appointment. If the wart is not infected, move on to Step 3.
Take a small cotton swab and soak it with tea tree oil. Dab the plantar wart with the tea tree oil, and then tape the cotton swab to the plantar wart with a bandaid or with surgical tape over gauze.
Cover the bandage with a clean cotton sock, and go directly to bed. Do not walk on the bandage.
Repeat this action for one to two weeks. You can apply tea tree oil more than once a day if needed.
Tips
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Applying tea tree oil at night and slipping socks over the feet is best; it allows the tea tree oil to soak in.
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An odd tip: sometimes the chlorine in chlorinated pools helps the wart to fall out on its own. Do not swim in a chlorinated pool if the plantar wart is infected.