Plantar warts are extremely painful and make it very difficult to walk around and carry out your daily activities.
Once you have let them exacerbate to the point that they stop you from going about your day, they will become even harder to get rid of.
As soon as you notice that there’s an unusual pain in your foot and that something has started to grow in a concentrated area, you need to examine it before it gets worse.
Once you start treating it properly, it will dry up and fall out. Read on to see whether Vicks VapoRub for plantar warts actually works.
What Are Plantar Warts?
Plantar warts are much more common than you think. Many people get these painful warts, but they’re not dangerous or untreatable.
The pain problem is that they affect your ability to walk and cause a sharp, stabbing pain in the bottom of your feet, where they typically show up.
These warts are the result of the human papillomavirus that likes to grow in warm places near bodies of water.
You might have contracted a plantar wart from walking barefoot near a swimming pool or public shower.
Your chances of getting them are more likely if you have an injury in your foot as well.
You’ll know you have a plantar wart when you feel a soft, circular, painful area in the skin on the bottom of your foot.
It’ll usually have a yellow or black center and will start hurting the moment you put any pressure on your foot.
How Does Vicks VapoRub Help With Plantar Warts?
Many people use Vicks VapoRub for a number of skin problems. It consists of a natural antiseptic that makes it a great solution for getting rid of toenail fungus.
As long as you keep applying it on the affected area until it clears the area of germs altogether, you’re likely to get a successful outcome.
The area where you apply the Vicks may turn black or discolored as the process continues, but it is a harmless and painless procedure.
The discoloration will also go away within a few days.
The most common way of using Vicks VapoRub for plantar warts is by applying a small amount of it directly onto the wart.
Because these warts happen on the bottom of your foot, the chances of the Vicks getting wiped off are high.
That’s why it’s a good idea to cover the area with waterproof tape.
Duct tape and Vicks make a great combination. Cover your wart with duct tape after you’ve applied an appropriate amount of Vicks on it.
Change the tape and clean the area daily. Within a matter of a week, the wart should start to dry up and become less painful to walk on.
Eventually, the area will start to clear and your plantar wart will dislodge from your skin.
The affected area will then start to heal from the cut that the wart left behind.
What Other Ways Can You Combat Warts?
Another helpful technique to fight off plantar warts is to add more steps to the Vicks and duct tape process.
When you change the tape everyday, make a foot soak that you can use to disinfect and refresh your feet before applying the new tape.
Make a mix of Epsom salt and apple cider vinegar with water and soak your feet in it for around 15-20 minutes before you dry them and reapply the Vicks VapoRub.
You might find that scrubbing your feet with a pumice stone after each soak will further soften your skin and make it easier for the wart to fall out as well.
One unusual way of treating plantar warts is by using aspirin. Not by ingesting it into your body, but rather adding it to your foot soak or making a paste from it.
Simply take a few baby aspirins and add them to the Epsom salt and apple cider mixture, and your treatment might work faster.
You can also take 1-2 aspirins and mix them with a couple of drops of water. Crush them and make a thick paste, which you can then apply directly onto the wart.
Again, cover the area with duct tape and let it stay on your foot for a day or two.
Do You Need Medication With Plantar Warts?
It’s not usually necessary to take any medicine when you develop a plantar wart, but some people may find it difficult to walk without any kind of painkiller if their wart is extremely painful and uncomfortable.
In such situations, you can take a small painkiller, but it is smarter to consult with your doctor first.
Should You Take Any Precautions?
As with all home remedies, it’s important that you stop the treatment as soon as you notice any suspicious signs.
If your skin starts getting irritable or you start feeling more pain, it’s time to see a doctor and stop trying to fix the wart on your own.
People can also have an allergic reaction to some medication or Vicks VapoRub, so you need to test it out on a small area of your skin before proceeding to apply it on your foot on a daily basis.
Can You Opt For Surgery?
With some people, the only way to get rid of a plantar wart is to have it removed surgically.
The procedure doesn’t take very long, but you will end up with stitches and will not be able to walk until the wound heals.
However, in most circumstances, if the wart has been removed properly, you will be cured.
Final Words
In certain situations, if you aren’t taking proper precautions to maintain foot hygiene and continue visiting public pools without sandals, you could end up with a wart again.
A smart step to take is to wash your feet regularly, especially if you’ve been out with sandals that expose your feet.
You can make a simple foot soak with soap and water, mixed with some Epsom salt to get clean, germ-free feet.
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