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Plantar warts

A painful spot on the sole can look like a corn, callus or wart. Correctly identifying it matters before applying acids or trying to cut it out.

Direct answer: A plantar wart—also called a verruca—is a skin growth caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Pressure can flatten it beneath hard skin. Many warts eventually resolve without treatment, but treatment may be considered when a lesion is painful, spreading, persistent or uncertain.

On this page

Does this sound familiar?

A rough lesion that interrupts the normal skin lines
Tiny dark dots may be visible within the lesion
Pain may occur with standing or side-to-side pressure
A single lesion or a cluster (“mosaic” pattern)

Other causes can feel similar

Symptoms can overlap, so one symptom or an online label cannot confirm the cause.

Corn or callus: skin lines usually continue through and direct pressure may be more painful
Foreign body: may follow a puncture and remain locally tender
Other skin lesion: bleeding, pigment change, ulceration or atypical appearance needs medical review

What an assessment can clarify

Appearance under good light and after careful reduction of overlying hard skin where appropriate
Skin-line pattern, pinpoint vessels, tenderness and lesion distribution
Duration, previous treatment and immune or health factors
Whether the diagnosis is sufficiently clear or dermatology or medical review is safer

Your options after assessment

Watchful waiting when the diagnosis is clear and the lesion is not troublesome
Pressure relief and careful reduction of painful overlying callus
Topical treatment such as salicylic-acid preparations when suitable, with realistic expectations about duration and irritation
Clinician-applied options, recognising no treatment guarantees clearance and recurrence can occur
Medical or dermatology referral for uncertain, changing or resistant lesions

What you can do now

Do not cut, pick or share files and clippers. Cover the lesion for swimming, change socks regularly and wear footwear in communal wet areas. Do not use wart acids without professional advice if you have diabetes, reduced circulation, reduced feeling, fragile skin or an uncertain diagnosis.

Common questions

Is a plantar wart contagious?

Yes. HPV can spread through close contact and contaminated surfaces, particularly when skin is wet or damaged.

Does it always need treatment?

Not always. If it is painless and confidently identified, monitoring may be reasonable. If it hurts, spreads, persists or you are unsure whether it is a wart, an assessment can confirm what the lesion is and explain suitable options.

Can treatment guarantee it will disappear?

No. Responses vary, treatments may irritate skin, and recurrence is possible. Assessment helps confirm the lesion and weigh the burden and likely benefit of each option before you decide.

Clinical information sources

These sources support the general information above. Individual assessment may lead to different advice.