Plantar Warts in Kids: What You Need to Know

Warts are a fairly normal part of a kid’s life. In fact, they’re more common in children than in adults. Ultimately, if your child gets a wart, it’s nothing to panic about. But it’s important to know how to handle it. 

That’s especially true if your child has a plantar wart. Because these warts develop on the bottoms of their feet, they can be painful as they walk or stand. 

Our North Central Texas Foot & Ankle team is here to help at our offices in Roanoke and Decatur, Texas. Samantha Childers, DPM, and Ricky Childers, DPM, specialize in children’s feet and have expertise in treating skin conditions like plantar warts. If you notice a wart on your child’s foot, don’t hesitate to visit us so we can make a plan together.

Treating plantar warts in kids

If your child regularly complains that the bottom of one of their feet hurts or they feel like they have something in their shoe, check their feet. The plantar wart will look like a small, rough growth on the bottom of their foot. Some develop little black dots in the center.

In many cases, the wart won’t need treatment and will go away on its own. 

That said, if it’s causing your child discomfort when they walk — or it’s making them feel embarrassed — we can get rid of it.

In fact, we’re your best bet here. While other warts can sometimes be treated with at-home remedies or over-the-counter medication, the skin on the bottom of a person’s feet is so thick that it makes those options ineffective. We don’t freeze plantar warts, even at our office, for this exact reason. 

We also avoid cutting the wart out because we don’t want to take your child off their feet and away from activities they enjoy, like sports, or to cause them undue pain. 

The best way to get rid of a plantar wart is to use a peeling treatment. We commonly use cantharidin or prescription-strength salicylic acid (over-the-counter salicylic acid isn’t strong enough). We can recommend the right peeling agent for your child.

All this said, a wart isn’t something you should be overly worried about as a parent. If it’s bothering your child, though, Drs. Childers can work alongside your family to provide the right treatment for your child. 

We can also help you and your child make a plan to keep them comfortable with the wart. Cushioned shoes and thicker socks can alleviate the pain point they feel because of their wart, for example. 

Plantar warts are contagious

The other thing to know is that the virus that causes plantar warts is contagious. To prevent your child from spreading it to other members of your family or to their friends, encourage them to wear shoes (even a simple flip-flop will do the trick) when they’re in damp areas where the virus could thrive. 

Also, encourage your child to keep their feet clean and dry so the wart doesn’t spread to other parts of their feet. 

To learn more about plantar warts in kids — or for care if you’ve spotted one on your child’s foot — call or message one of our offices to schedule an appointment.