What is the difference between a plantar wart and a corn?
A plantar wart is a rough bump that forms on the sole of your foot. HPV causes plantar warts. They’re contagious.
A corn is a buildup of small, round, hard and thick skin. Corns can appear on your feet or your hands and fingers. Repeated friction, rubbing, irritation or pressure on your skin causes corns. They’re not contagious.
What is the difference between a common wart and a plantar wart?
Common warts (palmar warts) form on your hands and fingers. They’re the most common type of wart.
Plantar warts appear on the soles of your feet.
Are plantar warts an STD?
No, plantar warts aren’t a sexually transmitted infection (STI or STD). HPV causes warts, but there are over 100 types of HPV.
HPV types 1, 2, 3, 4, 27 and 57 cause plantar warts. Skin-to-skin sexual contact doesn’t spread these types of HPV, so they aren’t STDs.
HPV types 6 and 11 cause most cases of genital warts. Skin-to-skin sexual contact spreads these types of HPV, so they’re STDs.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Plantar warts are common, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t embarrassing or unpleasant. They may even cause pain, depending on where they are on your foot. Your body’s immune system may fight off the virus that causes plantar warts over time. However, plantar warts respond well to treatment. If you have plantar warts, it’s a good idea to use caution when touching them so you don’t spread them to other parts of your body or other people.
Reach out to your healthcare provider if your plantar warts are spreading or painful or are causing stress. They can recommend the best at-home or in-office treatment to get rid of your plantar warts.
