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How do I Choose the Best Treatment for a Finger Wart?

Anna T.
Anna T.

If you have a finger wart, there are several different ways you may be able to get rid of it. Most finger warts go away on their own without treatment, but if you want to speed up the process, you can go to your local drugstore and purchase wart removal pads containing salicylic acid. These pads must typically be worn for a few weeks, and they normally kill the infected skin. If you don't want to invest in the pads, you can also try keeping some type of adhesive tape in place over your wart for about a week. After a week, you may be able to scrub the wart away with an exfoliating product or pumice stone.

Home and over-the-counter treatments will not always work for finger wart removal, so you may end up having to see a doctor to get your wart taken off. Doctors can remove warts through a variety of different methods, including freezing and manual removal. To freeze your finger wart, a doctor will likely inject it with liquid nitrogen. After a few days, you will get a blister around the area where your wart is, and it should be easy to scrape off within a few more days. Wart freezing tends to be one of the most effect wart removal methods, but if it doesn't work, your doctor might have to remove the wart manually.

Warts on a hand.
Warts on a hand.

To manually remove your wart, your doctor will probably have to inject your finger with an anesthetic and cut the wart off of your skin. As a result, you may be left with a small scar, and there is always a chance that the wart will reappear later. The anesthetic injection might also be painful. Most doctors use this method of finger wart removal as a last resort after other methods have failed.

A person applying medicine to a finger wart.
A person applying medicine to a finger wart.

Some people are more prone to warts than others, and if warts are a common problem for you, there are some things you may be able to do to prevent them. If you have finger warts, don't pick at them. Picking at warts can cause them to spread to other places. You should also keep your hands as dry as possible the majority of the time because, when your hands are moist, it makes it much easier for warts to spread and thrive. It's also important that you wash your hands thoroughly after touching your warts because this can prevent them from spreading, not only to other parts of your body, but also to other people you come in contact with.

Discussion Comments

SteamLouis

I think that more than the type of treatment, belief is important in treating warts. This may sound odd but the role of belief in wart treatment has been shown with studies. If someone believes that a treatment will work for their warts, it really does.

fify

@Zipline-- I had my finger wart frozen at the doctor's office. Unfortunately, there is a small scar.

I think most treatments that are done by dermatologists have the potential to leave a scar. You might want to look into natural remedies like tea tree oil, vinegar or the duct tape method.

My friend had warts on his hands too and he got rid of them with duct tape. He said that it took about a month but he has no scars.

ZipLine

I'm looking for a wart treatment that won't leave a scar. Has anyone had the liquid nitrogen treatment done. Does it leave a scar?

I don't mind paying more or waiting longer for the wart on my finger to go away. I just don't want a scar.

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    • Warts on a hand.
      By: Tiler84
      Warts on a hand.
    • A person applying medicine to a finger wart.
      By: leschnyhan
      A person applying medicine to a finger wart.