How do I Choose the Best Treatment for Warts?

Some warts may respond to home treatment. Others, such as genital warts or those on the face, should only be treated by a physician or dermatologist. Try gentler methods, such as using over-the-counter products, before considering surgery as a treatment for warts. Also, choose the best method for you with the help of your doctor. Some of these growths may even go away on their own.

Before selecting a treatment for warts, consult with a physician to ensure that your skin growth is actually a wart and not something more serious. With your doctor's approval, try using salicylic acid. This is the same ingredient used in many acne medications, however, there is a greater concentration in products for warts.

Soak the growth in warm water or take a bath first. Gently file the dead skin on the wart with a pumice stone or emery board. Then, apply the salicylic acid on the area. Do this once every day. It may take weeks or months before the wart starts to respond to the treatment.

Another treatment for warts is cantharidin. This chemical is applied directly to the wart by a doctor or dermatologist. After several hours, patients may notice pain and blistering. The following day, the doctor should be able to remove at least part of the wart. If cantharidin does not remove the entire growth, the doctor may recommend another course of treatment.

Patients can also try the duct tape method. This treatment for warts consists of covering the growth with a piece of household duct tape. The tape must be left on for at least six days. Afterward, the patient may soak the wart in warm water and rub gently it with an emery board. Following this, the tape is reapplied and the entire treatment is repeated, sometimes for as long as two months.

When medications and home treatment for warts is ineffective, and the growth is particularly bothersome, patients may consider more invasive methods. A doctor may apply liquid nitrogen in a process called cryotherapy. This freezes the wart and causes a blister to form. After about a week, the dead tissue falls off. Patients may need to repeat this treatment several times for optimum results.

Surgery is also an option for wart removal. Laser removal may be used. Minor surgery using an electric needle to destroy the growth's tissue may be considered as well. These approaches are typically more painful and expensive than other treatments. Patients should be aware of all the potential risks before undergoing this kind of treatment for warts.