# Verruca treatment > A verruca (plantar wart) is a viral wart on the sole of the foot, and many clear on their own without treatment. When treatment is chosen, acid-based paints or gels and freezing are the main options. Neither works for everyone, and it can take months. Guide in [Treatments](https://footanklelowerlimb.com.au/learn/topics/treatments), from Foot Ankle Lower Limb: https://footanklelowerlimb.com.au/learn/verruca-treatment Reviewed by Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod (Podiatrist) on 26 October 2026. Next review by 26 October 2027. - **Many verrucae clear on their own,** so waiting is a reasonable first choice if it isn't painful or spreading. - **Salicylic acid and freezing are the main treatments,** and neither works for everyone. - **Treatment can take months,** and a verruca may come back. - **Get advice first if you have diabetes or poor circulation.** ## What is verruca treatment, and how does it work? A verruca (plantar wart) is a wart on the sole of your foot, caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV [1]. It sheds the virus, which can spread to other spots on your foot or to other people [1]. Most verrucae disappear without treatment or scarring, usually within six months to two years [2]. Treatment isn't usually needed unless a verruca is very painful or spreading [2]. When you do treat one, the aim is mostly to destroy or soften the infected tissue so it falls away. That means acid-based paints and gels (keratolytic agents), or cryotherapy, which freezes the wart with liquid nitrogen [3][4]. No treatment works for everyone, and plantar warts often come back [3][5]. ## How well does verruca treatment work? It works modestly, and results vary. Salicylic acid and freezing are the treatments with the most support [6][7]. For plantar warts, freezing, salicylic acid and simply waiting gave similar results after 13 weeks [8]. Age seems to matter. Plantar warts in children often clear, in about half of cases, whatever the treatment. In teenagers and adults they are stubborn, and only about 5% cleared [8]. Even the most successful treatments cure at best about 50–70% of warts at 3 months, and about 30% go away on their own in that time [9]. Newer options, such as injections into the wart and combination acid paints, report higher cure rates. Those figures come from small or varied studies, so don't assume they beat standard care [3][10][11]. Expect treatment to take months, and ask your clinician why they recommend a particular option for your verruca. ## Is verruca treatment right for me? For an uncomplicated verruca, a simple, well-tolerated over-the-counter treatment is the usual first step [9][12]. The right choice depends on your age, the possible side effects, where the verruca is, and how many there are and how big [13]. Ask a pharmacist, podiatrist or GP which product suits you, and ask for written instructions. Freezing is harder to use in children because of pain and blisters [14]. If you're buying for a child, tell the pharmacist their age. It isn't clear how treatment performs if you have impaired healing, a weakened immune system, are on kidney dialysis, or can't tolerate cold (such as Raynaud's syndrome) [15]. If you're pregnant, ask a health professional before treating. > [!see] If you have diabetes or poor circulation > Get advice from your GP, podiatrist or pharmacist before treating a verruca yourself. If you have diabetes, don't start any treatment without checking with your GP or podiatrist first [2][16]. ## What happens during verruca treatment? **Salicylic acid at home.** Remove the dead skin first with an emery board or pumice stone, then apply the acid daily. Keep going for at least 3 months, and often longer if the wart has only shrunk [9]. Soaking the wart in warm water for 5–10 minutes beforehand, and covering it with waterproof plaster or duct tape afterwards, may make it work better [9]. Ask your clinician to show you how to apply it, and follow the product instructions. **Freezing (cryotherapy).** A clinician freezes the verruca with liquid nitrogen. This causes a blister that lifts the virus away from the healthy skin [16]. It can be very painful and may need a few treatments [16]. Sessions are usually repeated every two to three weeks until the wart clears [8][17]. Freezing is likely to help when salicylic acid hasn't worked [4]. ## What are the risks and side effects? Freezing can be painful and cause blisters [16]. Scarring, or lighter or darker patches of skin, can also happen afterwards [14]. Acid-based products can burn the skin, so follow the instructions carefully. If the area becomes painful, stop for about a week until it settles [16]. Before you start any treatment, tell your clinician if you're immunosuppressed or have neuropathy (nerve damage) or impaired healing. Starting with simple, well-tolerated treatments is usually the safest approach [12]. ## How does verruca treatment compare with other options? Freezing and salicylic acid appear broadly similar: most trials comparing them found no clear difference [9]. Freezing is done in a clinic and can hurt, while acid is something you apply yourself over months. Doing nothing is a good first option for many verrucae, because they often clear on their own [9]. If a verruca isn't troublesome or painful, leaving it alone is a reasonable choice [16]. Newer treatments report higher average cure rates, but those figures come from different studies and aren't head-to-head comparisons [10]. Before choosing, talk with your clinician about how painful, how slow and how available each option is. ## When to see a podiatrist See a podiatrist or GP, and don't delay, if a verruca: - bleeds or changes appearance; - keeps coming back; - is very large or painful, or is one of many; - is on your face or genitals; - might not be a verruca. Other skin conditions on the sole can look similar, so it's worth having it checked [18][19][20]. Ask about referral if a sore verruca has lasted at least two years and hasn't responded to acid or freezing, if you're older and the diagnosis is unclear, or if you're immunosuppressed and have several stubborn verrucae [17]. If there's no improvement after a few months of steady treatment, review it with your clinician. If it isn't painful or spreading, ask your podiatrist or pharmacist whether watching and waiting is reasonable. ## Common questions ### Do verrucas go away on their own? Many do. Most clear without treatment or scarring, usually within six months to two years, though some take longer. Your immune system is what clears the virus. If a verruca isn't painful or spreading, waiting is a reasonable choice, and a podiatrist or pharmacist can talk it through with you. ### Does duct tape work on verrucas? Covering a verruca with waterproof plaster or duct tape after applying salicylic acid may help the acid work better. It isn't clear yet how well duct tape works on its own. If you want to try it, ask a pharmacist or podiatrist, especially if you have diabetes or poor circulation. ### Why does my verruca keep coming back? None of the available treatments reliably kills the virus, and plantar warts often return after treatment. Most verrucae eventually clear as the immune system deals with the virus. If yours keeps coming back, is very painful or is spreading, it's worth having a podiatrist or GP look at it. ## Further reading - [Verruca treatment on Clindice](https://clindice.com/verruca-treatment) - [How To Identify Warts](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15045-warts), Cleveland Clinic - [Treating warts and verrucas - Resource Library - Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust](https://library.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/treating-warts-and-verrucas/), NHS - [Verrucas – Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH)](https://www.rdash.nhs.uk/services/podiatry-foot-protection/general-foot-care/verrucas/), NHS - [Verrucae treatment](https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/our-services/service-finder-z/podiatry/verrucae-treatment), NHS - [G-care: The primary care clinical information system](https://g-care.glos.nhs.uk/clinical-topic/warts), NHS ## Sources 1. 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Efficacy of topical treatments for cutaneous warts: a meta-analysis and pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials · Kwok CS, Holland R, Gibbs S · The British Journal of Dermatology · 2011. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10218.x 7. The status of treatment for plantar warts in 2021: No definitive advancements in decades for a common dermatology disease · Hekmatjah J, Farshchian M, Grant-Kels JM et al. · Clinics in Dermatology · 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2021.05.024 8. Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen versus topical salicylic acid application for cutaneous warts in primary care: randomized controlled trial · Bruggink SC, Gussekloo J, Berger MY et al. · CMAJ · 2010. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.092194 9. G-care: The primary care clinical information system · NHS. https://g-care.glos.nhs.uk/clinical-topic/warts 10. Topical treatment for plantar warts: A systematic review · García-Oreja S, Álvaro-Afonso FJ, García-Álvarez Y et al. · Dermatologic Therapy · 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.14621 11. Efficacy and Safety of Topical Cantharidin Treatment for Molluscum Contagiosum and Warts: A Systematic Review · Vakharia PP, Chopra R, Silverberg NB et al. · American Journal of Clinical Dermatology · 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-018-0375-4 12. Verrucas. Guidelines for management · Leman JA, Benton EC · American Journal of Clinical Dermatology · 2000. https://doi.org/10.2165/00128071-200001030-00001 13. Diagnosis and management of subungual and periungual verruca: A clinical review · Curtis KL, Davis JC, Di Chiacchio N et al. · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2024.10.081 14. Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous warts (2022) · Zhu P, Qi RQ, Yang Y et al. · Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine · 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/jebm.12494 15. The EVERT (effective verruca treatments) trial protocol: a randomised controlled trial to evaluate cryotherapy versus salicylic acid for the treatment of verrucae · Cockayne ES · Trials · 2010. https://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-11-12 16. Verrucas · NHS. https://www.rdash.nhs.uk/services/podiatry-foot-protection/general-foot-care/verrucas/ 17. Viral warts · NHS. https://www.rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk/dermatology-pathways/viral-warts/ 18. Warts & Verrucas · NHS. https://www.nottsapc.nhs.uk/media/5x3orueu/warts_verrucas_self-care_apc.pdf 19. Self Care Information for Patients: Warts & Verrucas · NHS. https://swlimo.southwestlondon.icb.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Self-Care-Information-for-Patients-Warts-and-Verrucas-V1.1.pdf 20. Diagnostic techniques in HPV infections and the need to implement them in plantar lesions: A systematic review · Aldana-Caballero A, Marcos-Tejedor F, Mayordomo R · Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics · 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/14737159.2021.2004889 --- This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you. For advice about your own feet or legs, see a podiatrist or your doctor. In an emergency, call 000.