Plantar Wart Removal – Don’t Get Stung By Fake Claims

August 27, 2008 on 3:52 pm | In General | No Comments

Unsightly, irritating, painful, plantar warts are an annoyance and a bother. It is little wonder that many people will go to great lengths to try and find a plantar wart removal system that works.

But do they work? Are the promises realistic?

To make that decision, you will need some additional information.

First of all, is it a plantar wart? Plantar warts are found exclusively on the soles of the feet, and while they resemble corns and other foot problems, there are specific physical indications that set them apart.

Real plantar warts are caused by a viral infection. When certain strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) get under the skin of the foot, they can cause a surface tumor called a plantar wart.

Unlike other problems caused by HPV, these tumors are universally benign and are not life threatening. But they can be painful, and difficult to remove.

Step one is to make sure that it is a plantar wart by seeing a medical professional. No matter how effect a plantar wart removal technique may or may not be, it won’t help much if you are dealing with another problem altogether.

When evaluating a treatment option, remember the cardinal rule of the market place. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Clinical tests have not found any plantar wart treatment to be 100% effective at plantar wart removal. The HPV virus which is at the root of the problem is tough to treat.

In the case of plantar warts, doing nothing may be the better choice. In most healthy people, the normal action of the immune system will deal with the wart in time. It may take a few weeks or even months, but eventually the body will win out and the wart will be gone.

Studies indicate the most of the home remedies that have proven effective work by speeding up the this process. For instance, the much talked about duct tape cure.

For this treatment, you cover the plantar wart with duct tape for 6 days, after which you soak it in hot water and then rub it down with a pumice stone. Repeat for several weeks.

The duct tape and hot water act as irritants, which may cause the immune system to expend additional resources at the source irritation.

There is some doubt whether this procedure speeds up the process significantly.

Medical professionals may advise surgical options for plantar wart removal. They have as high a success rate as most other techniques, but can be painful and expensive.

Chemical treatments can work, but beware of miracle cures. A chemical treatment must not only dissolve the tumor, but counteract the HPV that may remain behind. Otherwise, a new plantar wart will quickly appear.

Check the sources of anyone who promises quick and permanent plantar wart removal. You may just be paying good money for something that does little to help what your body is doing already.