Plantar Warts: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Medically reviewed by Sumiran Racherla, MD, Internal Medicine. Last reviewed: October 23, 2026.
What kind of doctor treats Plantar Warts?
A dermatologist, a doctor who treats skin problems, or a podiatrist, a doctor who treats foot problems, can diagnose and treat plantar warts. A direct primary care or concierge doctor can be a first stop for an evaluation and can refer you to a specialist when needed.
What are plantar warts?
Plantar warts are warts on the soles of the feet. The word plantar is the medical term for the bottom of the foot. Warts are small growths on the skin that are usually painless and mostly harmless. A virus called human papillomavirus, or HPV, causes them. Plantar warts are a type of common wart.
Symptoms
Plantar warts often look like rough, thickened growths. They often contain small black dots, which are blood vessels. A wart can take weeks or months to become noticeable.
Several warts can meld together into mosaic warts. This is common with plantar warts, and mosaic warts can spread and cover large areas.
Plantar warts can be very painful. Having many of them on your feet may cause problems walking or running.
Causes and who gets it
HPV can infect your skin through a cut, scrape, or other injury that breaks the skin. The break in the skin does not need to be noticeable. You can get a wart when you touch a wart on someone's body, or an object with the virus on it, such as a towel, locker room floor, or pool deck.
Warts are common in children and teens, but anyone can get them. You are more likely to get a wart if you:
- Have skin that is softened by water.
- Walk barefoot in a pool area, communal shower, gym, or locker room.
- Share unwashed towels, socks, or other items.
- Have a weakened immune system, which is the body's defense against germs.
Warts can also spread from one part of your body to another.
How doctors diagnose it
A health care provider will look at your skin to diagnose a wart. You may have a skin biopsy, which means a small piece of skin is removed and tested, to confirm the growth is not another type of growth, such as skin cancer. Some skin cancers can look like a wart.
If you are not sure a growth is a wart, do not try at-home treatments. See a board-certified dermatologist instead.
Treatment
Your provider can treat a wart if you do not like how it looks or if it is painful. Do not try to remove a wart yourself by burning, cutting, tearing, or picking it. Over-the-counter medicines to remove warts are available, so ask your provider which treatment is right for you.
To use a wart-removal medicine, file the wart with an emery board when your skin is damp, such as after a shower. Put the medicine on the wart every day for several weeks or months, and follow the label. Then cover the wart with a bandage.
Special foot cushions from a drugstore can ease the pain from plantar warts. Wearing socks and roomy shoes and avoiding high heels can also help. A provider may also trim away thick skin or calluses that form over warts on your foot.
If warts do not go away, a provider may recommend stronger prescription medicines, a blistering solution, freezing the wart, burning the wart, or laser treatment for warts that are hard to remove. Warts can come back after treatment, and minor scars can form after warts are removed.
When to see a doctor
Contact a doctor if you see signs of infection, which are red streaking, pus, discharge, or fever, or if you have bleeding. Also contact a doctor if bleeding from the wart does not stop when you apply light pressure. Contact a doctor if the wart causes pain or does not respond to self-care and you want it removed. Contact a doctor if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system and have developed warts. Any change in the color or look of the wart is also a reason to call.
How a direct primary care or concierge doctor fits in
A direct primary care doctor charges a flat monthly fee instead of billing insurance, while a concierge doctor usually charges more and often works alongside insurance. Either kind of doctor can look at the growth and help tell whether it is a wart. They can suggest treatment options and refer you to a dermatologist if the wart does not respond to self-care or is painful.
Common questions
Are plantar warts contagious?
Yes, plantar warts can spread. The virus can pass when you touch an object that carries it, such as a towel, locker room floor, or pool deck, and your skin has a break. Warts can also spread from one area of your own body to another.
Do plantar warts go away on their own?
They can, but plantar warts are harder to cure than warts in other places. Most often, warts are harmless growths that go away on their own within 2 years.
Can I remove a plantar wart myself?
You should not try to remove a wart by burning, cutting, tearing, or picking it. Over-the-counter wart medicines are available, and your provider can tell you which treatment is right for you.
How can I prevent plantar warts?
Wearing socks or shoes can help prevent plantar warts. Avoid direct contact with a wart on your skin or another person's skin, and wash your hands carefully after touching a wart. Walking barefoot in a pool area, communal shower, gym, or locker room makes warts more likely.
Sources
- MedlinePlus - Warts
- American Academy of Dermatology - Warts: Causes
- American Academy of Dermatology - Warts: Signs and symptoms
Medical Disclaimer
This content is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and reading it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions about a medical condition, and never disregard or delay seeking professional advice because of something you read here. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 (or your local emergency number) immediately.
