Understanding Common Warts - Treatment

What Are the Treatments?

Nearly every doctor says that the best treatment for warts is no treatment at all.  Most people develop an immune response that causes warts to go away by themselves.  One-fifth of all warts disappear within six months, and two-thirds are gone within two years.  However, if your wart doesn't disappear, or if it's unsightly or uncomfortable, you can try self-treatment or seek help from your doctor.  If you have diabetes or a weak immune system, it is recommended to avoid self-treatment and instead follow up with your doctor. 

If you decide to treat your own wart, your first-choice remedy should be an over-the-counter medication in liquid, gel, pad, or ointment form.  Most of these contain salicylic acid, the main constituent of aspirin, which softens abnormal skin cells and dissolves them.  Some examples are Compound W and Occlusal HP.

First, soak the wart in warm water for five minutes to help the medication penetrate the skin.  Then gently rub off dead skin cells with a washcloth or pumice stone.  Before applying the medicine, coat the area around the wart with petroleum jelly to keep the medicine away from healthy or sensitive skin.  These compounds require daily treatment, often for several weeks.

In a medical study, duct tape was shown to be more effective than freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen.  Warts were covered with duct tape for six days, after which the wart was soaked in warm water and gently rubbed with a pumice stone or emery board.  This process was repeated for up to two months or until the wart went away.

If over-the-counter treatment fails, your doctor can remove a wart by:

• Freezing it with liquid nitrogen
• Burning it off with electricity or a laser
• Excising it (a minor surgical procedure)
• Injecting a medicine called bleomycin into the wart (which kills the virus), used for severe cases
• Prescribing a topical medication called Aldara, which improves your body's fighting capabilities
• Dissolving it by wrapping it in a plaster patch impregnated with salicylic acid.

Any of these treatments can cause scarring, so instead you may want to ask your doctor about a prescription patch that clears up warts by delivering a continuous dose of medication.