How Do You Get Rid of Warts? Here’s a List of Treatment Options (With Images)

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Warts don't have the best reputation. For hundreds of years, people thought warts were a sign of bad luck or even evil. While warts don't deserve their superstitious reputations, they can be painful. They might also pop up in areas you prefer to keep free of blemishes.

So can you actually get rid of warts? Yes, it's possible to get rid of warts with at-home remedies and in-office treatment options. Let's take a look at the best methods for wart removal.

What are warts anyway?

Warts are rough, hard bumps on the skin. They're made up of keratin and other skin proteins that normally work to keep skin strong and healthy.

Some strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) cause warts. When a person comes into contact with these strains of the HPV virus, the virus can infect the skin cells and cause them to make proteins and keratin. The result is a wart.

What do warts look like?

Most warts look like rough bumps on the skin. But they come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. They can be the size of a pencil tip, inches long, and every size in between. They can happen alone or in clusters of several hundred. Warts come in all shades of skin color. And they can form anywhere on the body.

What are the best treatments to get rid of warts at home?

Warts don't always need treatment. Most warts disappear on their own as your immune system fights off the HPV virus. But this can take a while - even up to 2 years in some people.

If your wart bothers you, you might not want to wait that long. Here are some effective wart treatments that can be used at home on most warts. Keep in mind, if you have genital warts you should let your primary care provider know. These need to be evaluated and treated by a healthcare professional.

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a medication that you apply directly to a wart. It comes in different strengths, or concentrations. Higher concentrations (40% to 50%) are typically used for plantar warts. It's available as a liquid or ointment but also comes in premade patches and pads.

It works by exfoliating the wart so it falls off your skin. There's also evidence that salicylic acid encourages your immune system to attack the HPV virus.

There's a lot of strong evidence that salicylic acid works well for most people. Salicylic acid is inexpensive and available over the counter (OTC). You'll apply the salicylic acid once every 1 to 2 days for up to 12 weeks. Every few days, you should soak the wart in warm water and gently exfoliate the area.

It also works really well when you combine it with other wart removal treatments. If after 12 weeks of treatment your wart still hasn't gone away, you should get medical care.

Other topical medications

Besides salicylic acid, there are other medications that you can apply to the skin to treat warts. These medications are only available by prescription and include:

• Imiquimod

• Fluorouracil (Efudex)

• Retinoids

These can cause side effects and are more expensive. They're used only if people don't have success with other options. Like other treatment options, you need to apply these medications for several weeks before a wart will go away.

How do doctors treat warts?

A healthcare professional can treat warts in a few different ways. The best option for you depends on where you have the wart, how many you have, and the cost of treatment. Another thing to keep in mind is that some treatments are more painful than others.

Prescription creams

Some prescription creams need to be applied by a healthcare professional in the office.

Cantharidin (also called "beetlejuice") is painted on the wart and washed off about 4 hours later at home. Within 24 hours, a blister forms and lifts the wart, which eventually removes it.

Podofilox is another cream that's usually used for genital warts. But it's sometimes also used for other types of warts. It blocks warts from growing and can cause skin irritation and blistering.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is also called "freezing therapy." During cryotherapy, your healthcare professional applies liquid nitrogen to your wart for about 10 to 30 seconds.

You'll usually need freezing treatments every 2 to 3 weeks for up to six treatments. Over time, you'll notice that your wart will turn red and may even blister as it goes away. If your wart hasn't gone away after six treatments, your healthcare professional will recommend another option.

Cryotherapy is somewhat painful, so it isn't a good option for young children. It's not a good option for warts on fingers because it can lead to finger pain and neuropathy. Cryotherapy can also cause scarring and loss of skin pigmentation. If you're prone to scarring or have a darker skin tone, you'll need to consider the benefits of cryotherapy over these risks.

Laser therapy

Laser therapy uses a specialized beam of light to destroy the blood supply to a wart. A wart falls off when it loses its blood supply. Most people need several courses of laser therapy to see results. You might need three or four treatments every few weeks before your wart goes away. Only healthcare professionals with specialized training in laser therapy can do these treatments.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses medications that prompt the immune system to recognize and attack the HPV virus. There are several wart immunotherapy medications, including topical medications that a healthcare professional applies on top of the wart.

There are other medications that a healthcare professional injects into the wart and surrounding skin. Most people need a few treatments to see the effect.

Immunotherapy does carry the risk of side effects, like severe skin irritation, blistering, and allergic reactions. It also doesn't work well for everyone. Only certain healthcare professionals are trained to use immunotherapy to treat warts. For these reasons, immunotherapy is usually saved for situations where other treatments have failed.

Bleomycin

Bleomycin is a chemotherapy medication that can treat warts. Your healthcare professional will inject bleomycin into your wart. Some people only need one treatment for the wart to go away, but others may need monthly injections.

Bleomycin treatment has several drawbacks. It causes more significant pain than other treatment options, usually lasting 1 to 2 days. After treatment, the wart turns black and scars over. This can result in permanent loss of skin pigmentation and scarring. It's also not recommended for children or people who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system.

Surgery or curettage (excision)

Surgery can be a treatment option if you have a large wart or it hasn't responded to other treatments. During curettage, a healthcare professional will numb the skin with a small needle and then cut off the wart with a scalpel. Stitches may be used to close the wound if needed.

HPV vaccine

Several small studies show that the HPV vaccine can actually treat warts. More research is underway to help understand the benefits of HPV vaccines for wart treatments.

How can you prevent warts?

You may not be able to completely prevent warts, but taking these precautions can help you lower your risk of getting them:

• Don't touch someone else's wart.

• Don't share towels, razors, and other personal items.

• Clean and cover any cuts or scrapes.

• Wash your hands frequently.

• Don't bite your nails or pick your cuticles.

• Wear flip-flops or water shoes in locker rooms and public showers and pools.

Frequently asked questions

Images used with permission from VisualDx (www.visualdx.com).

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