While at-home wart treatments can take weeks or months to work, salicylic acid plasters or solutions that peel away the wart can be very effective when used correctly. Be sure to follow directions carefully. Use a dedicated pumice stone, emery board, or nail file to remove dead skin from the wart the day after each application of wart remover. Don’t use the file for any other purpose; it could spread the virus to another part of your body. Another method is to use duct tape like you would a wart-remover patch. Put a small strip over the wart and leave it in place for about six days. At the end of the sixth day, remove the tape, soak the wart in water and then gently debride it with a pumice stone, emery board, or nail file. Repeat the process as often as it takes to remove the wart.

Yet another option is a freeze spray where liquid butane is sprayed directly onto the wart to freeze and kill the tissue. This is generally only effective on smaller warts because the spray cannot get as cold or as deep as the freezing treatments you would get in your doctor’s office. It can also be fairly painful because the spray has to be applied to the wart directly for several seconds. You will likely develop a blister around the area. If it breaks, make sure to keep it clean with an anti-bacterial to prevent infection. The blister and the wart should disappear within a few days.