Plantar warts may be small in size, but they can be a big nuisance. Since they grow inward, they cause pain and discomfort whenever you step on the part of the foot where they are positioned. There are some at-home remedies you can try, and there are also over-the-counter treatments sold at most pharmacies. However, these solutions have limited effectiveness. If you want to get rid of plantar warts right away, you should see a podiatrist. They'll likely administer one of the following treatments.

Laser Therapy

One increasingly common option for treating plantar warts is laser therapy. This can be one of the fastest and most effective treatments, but it does leave you a little sore. The laser will kill the virus at the heart of the plantar wart, and it will also kill some of the skin tissue around the virus. You will need to wear a bandage over the area that is treated and be careful to keep your foot clean for a week or two while the area heals. 

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy has long been a go-to treatment option for plantar warts. It involves the application of liquid nitrogen to the plantar wart. The liquid nitrogen becomes so cold that it basically kills the virus and the surrounding tissue. The area will turn white, and the body will slowly absorb this damaged, dead tissue over the coming weeks. Cryotherapy comes with less risk of infection than laser therapy since the tissue is left in place. However, it is not always effective against the deepest, most stubborn plantar warts, and some people require several treatments.

Topical Retinoids

If you have several plantar warts and do not want to deal with pain in your foot as you heal from treatment, your podiatrist may prescribe a topical retinoid for you to apply to the area several times a day for a couple of weeks or months. Topical retinoids are usually used to treat acne, but they work by preventing cells from multiplying too quickly. This can help keep the viral plantar wart tissue from continuing to grow into your foot. Retinoids tend to work well for patients that have multiple, small, recurring plantar warts as they help keep new warts from forming.

If you have plantar warts, go see the podiatrist. There are a few very effective treatments they can provide, and they will determine which is best for you depending on your overall health and the characteristics of your plantar warts.