Treatment FAQ

what is the best treatment for warts

by Raymond Jast Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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For common warts, look for a 17 percent salicylic acid solution. These products (Compound W, Dr. Scholl's Clear Away Wart Remover, others) are usually used daily, often for a few weeks. For best results, soak your wart in warm water for a few minutes before applying the product.Apr 30, 2022

Medication

Top 3 Best Over the Counter Wart Remover Reviews

  1. Compound W Wart Remover Fast-Acting Gel Compound W is one of the leaders in wart removal products. ...
  2. Duofilm Liquid Salicylic Acid Wart Remover This liquid product has also been considered the best over the counter wart remover numerous times, thanks to its effective formulation. ...
  3. Compound W Freeze Off Wart Remover-8 applications

Procedures

  • Avoid touching someone’s wart. ...
  • Make sure that everyone in your home has their own towels, washcloths, razors, nail clippers, socks, and other personal items. ...
  • Clean and cover cuts and scrapes. ...
  • Wash your hands often. ...
  • Prevent dry, cracked skin. ...
  • Stop nail biting and cuticle chewing. ...

More items...

Therapy

  • Dr. Scholl’s freeze away wart remover comes with a can and blue activator.
  • Screw the tip in can then push the can in the blue activator.
  • Apply the freeze-away solution for 20 seconds on common warts and up to 40 seconds on plantar warts.
  • Before you apply it on plantar warts, you can wash and soak them for a few minutes in the wart for better results.

Self-care

Your doctor or nurse can:

  • Put chemicals on the warts to make them go away or stop growing. ...
  • Give you a prescription for a cream that you put on the warts yourself for several weeks.
  • Freeze the warts off ( cryotherapy ).
  • Burn off the warts using an electric current.
  • Remove the warts with a knife or wire and electricity ( LEEP ).

Nutrition

What is the best over the counter medication for warts?

How to heal warts more quickly and prevent new ones?

What is the best over the counter wart removal product?

What kind of Doctor removes warts?

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What is the fastest treatment for warts?

To treat a wart, soak it for 10 to 15 minutes (you can do this in the shower or bath), file away the dead warty skin with an emery board or pumice stone, and apply the salicylic acid. Do this once or twice a day for 12 weeks.

How do you permanently get rid of warts?

Medical treatments for wartsCantharidin. Your doctor may treat your wart by covering it with cantharidin, a substance that will cause a blister to form under the wart. ... Cryotherapy. ... Electrosurgery/Curettage. ... Excision. ... Laser treatment. ... Chemical peels. ... Bleomycin. ... Immunotherapy.

How do you get rid of a wart in 24 hours?

Gather a bottle of apple cider vinegar, cotton balls or cotton-tipped applicators, and a small bandage. Soak the cotton ball in apple cider vinegar, and apply this to the area where the wart is. Place the bandage over the cotton ball and leave it in place overnight. Some people may leave it on for up to 24 hours.

How do you get rid of warts overnight?

Mix two parts apple cider vinegar in one-part water. Soak a cotton ball in the vinegar-water solution. Apply the cotton ball directly on the wart. Cover with tape or a bandage, keeping the cotton ball on the wart overnight (or for longer if possible).

What do doctors prescribe for warts?

Other medications: These include bleomycin, which is injected into a wart to kill a virus, and imiquimod (Aldara and Zyclara), an immunotherapy drug that stimulates your own immune system to fight off the wart virus. It comes in the form of a prescription cream.

Why do people get warts?

Warts are caused by an infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus causes an excess amount of keratin, a hard protein, to develop in the top skin layer (epidermis). The extra keratin produces the rough, hard texture of a wart.

Does Vicks work on warts?

People have used Vicks VapoRub for all sorts of skin problems, including nail fungus, paper cuts, mosquito bites and dandruff. Yours is the first report we have received of success with Vicks for periungual warts.

What deficiency causes warts?

In our study, patients with warts had significantly lower mean serum vitamin B12 level than patients without warts. Furthermore, they more frequently had decreased serum vitamin B12 levels. Patients with plantar warts had significantly lower mean serum vitamin B12 level than patients without warts.

Can clear nail polish remove warts?

People also use duct tape or clear nail polish to suffocate the virus, thereby removing the wart, although these treatments probably do not work any better than a placebo. Use duct tape like you would a wart-remover patch.

Can you put toothpaste on a wart?

Though toothpaste is one of the popular home remedies for getting rid of warts, it is advised to not use toothpaste on your warts because it can do more harm than good by irritating your skin. Some people have reported warts getting smaller by applying toothpaste on them.

Can vinegar remove warts?

Vinegar is an acetic acid, which means it can kill certain types of bacteria and viruses upon contact. Vinegar burns and gradually destroys the infected skin, making the wart fall off eventually, like the way salicylic acid works.

Can I cut off a wart?

Whatever you do, do not try to cut off a plantar wart yourself because you may injure yourself and cuts in your skin allow the warts to spread.

What is the best way to remove warts?

Unless you have an impaired immune system or diabetes, try these methods: Peeling medicine (salicylic acid). Nonprescription wart removal products such as salicylic acid are available as a patch, ointment, pad and liquid. For common warts, look for a 17 percent salicylic acid solution.

What is the least painful treatment for warts?

Doctors generally start with the least painful methods, especially when treating young children. Your doctor may suggest one of the following approaches, based on the location of your warts, your symptoms and your preferences. These methods are sometimes used in combination with home treatments, such as salicylic acid.

What to do if salicylic acid isn't working?

If salicylic acid or freezing isn't working, your doctor may try trichloroacetic acid. With this method, the doctor first shaves the surface of the wart and then applies the acid with a wooden toothpick. It requires repeat treatments every week or so. Side effects are burning and stinging. Minor surgery.

How to diagnose a wart?

Diagnosis. In most cases, your doctor can diagnose a common wart with one or more o

How long does it take for a wart to go away?

Most common warts go away without treatment, though it may take a year or two and new ones may develop nearby. Some people choose to have their warts treated by a doctor because home treatment isn't working and the warts are bothersome, spreading or a cosmetic concern.

How to get rid of a wart on your skin?

File away any dead skin with a disposable emery board or a pumice stone between treatments. If your skin becomes too irritated, decrease how often you use this method to treat your wart. If you're pregnant, talk with your doctor before using an acid solution. Freezing.

Can cryotherapy cause warts?

Side effects of cryotherapy include pain, blistering and discolored skin in the treated area. Because this technique can be painful, it is usually not used to treat the warts of young children. Other acids. If salicylic acid or freezing isn't working, your doctor may try trichloroacetic acid.

What medicine to use for warts?

Peeling medicines include salicylic acid (stronger than you can buy at the store), tretinoin, and glycolic acid. Bleomycin: The dermatologist may inject each wart with an anti-cancer medicine, bleomycin. The shots may hurt. They can have other side effects, such as nail loss if given in the fingers.

How to treat a wart in the skin?

A dermatologist may use one of the following treatments: 1 Cantharidin: A dermatologist may treat a wart in the office by "painting" it with cantharidin. Cantharidin causes a blister to form under the wart. In a week or so, you can return to the office and the dermatologist will clip away the dead wart. 2 Cryotherapy: For common warts in adults and older children, cryotherapy (freezing) is the most common treatment. This treatment is not too painful. It can cause dark spots in people who have dark skin. It is common to need repeat treatments. 3 Electrosurgery and curettage: Electrosurgery (burning) is a good treatment for common warts, filiform warts, and foot warts. Curettage involves scraping off (curetting) the wart with a sharp knife or small, spoon-shaped tool. These two procedures often are used together. The dermatologist may remove the wart by scraping it off before or after electrosurgery. 4 Excision: The doctor may cut out the wart (excision).

What is the best treatment for dark spots on the foot?

It can cause dark spots in people who have dark skin. It is common to need repeat treatments. Electrosurgery and curettage: Electrosurgery (burning) is a good treatment for common warts, filiform warts, and foot warts. Curettage involves scraping off (curetting) the wart with a sharp knife or small, spoon-shaped tool.

Can a dermatologist treat warts?

Although most warts are harmless, dermatologists do treat them. You should see a dermatologist if you cannot get rid of the warts, the warts hurt, or you have many warts. Dermatologists have many treatments for warts. The treatment used depends on the patient’s age and health as well as the type of wart. A dermatologist may use one of the ...

Can warts go away with immunotherapy?

A mild allergic reaction occurs around the treated warts. This reaction may cause the warts to go away. Another type of immunotherapy involves getting shots of interferon. The shots can boost the body’s immune system, which gives the body the ability to fight the virus.

Do warts return at the same site?

This means that warts can return at the same site or appear in a new spot . Sometimes, it seems that new warts appear as fast as old ones go away. This happens when the old warts shed virus cells into the skin before the warts are treated. This allows new warts to grow around the first warts.

Can you peel warts?

Chemical peels: When flat warts appear, there are usually many warts. Because so many warts appear, dermatologists often prescribe "peeling" methods to treat these warts. This means, you will apply a peeling medicine at home every day.

What is the best way to treat a wart?

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.

What is the best medicine for genital warts?

Prescribing a topical medication called imiquimod ( Aldara ), which improves your body's fighting capabilities. This is mainly helpful for genital warts. Getting rid of warts takes persistence. It is in the rare situation that a wart is gone with a single treatment.

How to remove a wart from a spherical object?

If over-the-counter treatment fails, your doctor can remove a wart by: 1 Freezing it with liquid nitrogen. 2 Burning it off with an electric needle or a laser. 3 Applying acids to help destroy the wart. 4 Injecting a drug called bleomycin into the wart (which kills the virus), used for severe cases. 5 Injecting candida antigen to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight off the wart. 6 Prescribing a topical medication called imiquimod ( Aldara ), which improves your body's fighting capabilities. This is mainly helpful for genital warts.

How to get rid of a wart on your arm?

Burning it off with an electric needle or a laser. Apply ing acids to help destroy the wart. Injecting a drug called bleomycin into the wart (which kills the virus), used for severe cases. Injecting candida antigen to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight off the wart.

How long does it take for a wart to go away?

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.

Can butane kill warts?

The sprays generally contain liquid butane and are sprayed directly onto the wart to freeze and kill the tissue. Temperatures can reach as low as a negative 100 degrees. The down side of this home treatment is that it may not freeze the wart deep enough to be effective.

What is the best treatment for warts?

Tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a powerful antimicrobial remedy. It’s used to treat skin conditions like acne, athlete’s foot, and other skin infections. The oil’s antiviral properties may also help get rid of warts. Some methods suggest applying tea tree oil on the wart, but undiluted oil can cause skin irritation.

What is the best way to remove warts?

Duct tape is one of the most popular home remedies for warts. It’s inexpensive and easy to find. Duct tape is said to remove the infected skin over time. The research on duct tape ’s effectiveness is outdated.

How to treat HPV infection?

It’s thought to improve your body’s reaction to HPV, but there aren’t any studies to support this claim. You can puncture a vitamin E capsule and apply the oil to the wart. Protect the wart with a bandage and keep it on overnight. Repeat daily for two weeks.

How to treat warts with garlic?

To treat warts with garlic, crush up 1 clove and mix it with water. Apply to the wart and cover with a bandage. Repeat daily for three to four weeks. You can also apply garlic juice or rub a clove on the wart.

How to get rid of warts on skin?

Aspirin may also get rid of warts. Its main ingredient is salicylic acid, a common ingredient in over-the-counter wart treatments. Salicylic acid works by peeling away the infected skin. Over time, this removes the wart.

How to get rid of a wart on a swollen ear?

To do so, combine 1 to 2 drops of tea tree oil with 12 drops of a carrier oil, like almond oil or castor oil. Add 3 to 4 drops of this mixture on a cotton ball. Place it on the wart for 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat two or three times a day. If you experience irritation, you might need to dilute it even more.

How to get rid of ringworm on skin?

It’s used as a natural remedy for warts, ringworm, dandruff, and other skin conditions. Apply castor oil on the wart every day. It might take two or more weeks for the wart to fall off.

How to treat a wart on the body?

This helps prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the body, and to other people. Wash your hands immediately after touching the wart. This also helps to prevent spreading the virus to other parts of the body and to other people.

How to prevent warts on feet?

Wearing flip-flops can help prevent warts. Wearing flip-flops or other shoes in moist areas, such as piers, pool decks, and public showers can reduce your risk of developing warts on your feet. Make sure your children get the HPV vaccine.

What happens if you shave over a wart?

If you shave over a wart, you’ll have microtears in your wart and the skin that you shave. Through these microtears, you can spread the virus that causes warts from the wart to any skin that you shave. For example, a man can get new warts in his beard area if he shaves over a wart and then shaves his face.

Can a wart go away on its own?

When someone has a healthy immune system, a wart will often go away on its own. This can take a long time, though. In the meantime, the virus that causes warts can spread to other parts of the body, which may lead to more warts. Treatment can help a wart clear more quickly. You can buy effective wart treatment without a prescription.

Can a dermatologist help with warts?

When a dermatologist can help. While you can often clear a wart at home, some warts can be stubborn. If the person has a weakened immune system, it can be difficult to get rid of warts. Sometimes, what looks like a wart turns out to be a callus or another type of growth. A board-certified dermatologist can help by:

Can you get HPV from scratching?

HPV is contagious. It’s possible for the virus to get inside your body through a cut or scratch, which can cause a wart.

Can you prevent warts?

For these reasons, it can be difficult to prevent warts completely. By taking some precautions, you can reduce the risk of you and your family getting warts.

What is the best treatment for warts?

Salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a peeling agent that people use for general skin care, acne treatment, and other dermatological conditions. However, it can also help with treating warts. People can use salicylic acid patches or gels to speed up wart healing and destroy cells that HPV is affecting.

How to treat warts?

Laser treatment: Lasers can burn the wart tissue off. However, dermatologists usually reserve this approach for warts that do not respond to other treatments. Immunotherapy: People with severe warts or a compromised immune system may benefit from immunotherapy, which boosts the body’s immune response to HPV.

What are warts on the hands?

TuiPhotoengineer/Getty Images. Warts are skin bumps and lesions that develop due to HPV. They are common in children and teenagers, but anyone can get them. There are several types of wart, including: common warts, which often occur on the hands. plantar warts, which often grow on the soles of the feet.

How long does it take for a wart to heal?

In children and adolescents, most warts will clear up on their own within around 1–2 years. Trusted Source. . This article will look at home remedies for warts and how to use them.

How to get rid of a wart on a spherical surface?

Apply a piece of duct tape to the wart. After 4–7 days, remove the tape and clean the wart. Remove any dead skin by gently exfoliating the area, and reapply another piece of duct tape 12 hours later. Repeat these steps for 4–6 weeks.

What are the warts on the soles of the feet?

plantar warts, which often grow on the soles of the feet. flat warts, which can appear anywhere and often occur in large numbers. filiform warts, which resemble thin threads. Warts are contagious. Anyone with warts should try to avoid touching them unnecessarily and wash their hands immediately after doing so.

Does apple cider vinegar help with warts?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a popular home remedy for a number of conditions, including warts. Some people claim that the acid in the vinegar works in a similar way to salicylic acid. However, there is no firm evidence to suggest that ACV works for this purpose. To try the ACV method:

How to get rid of warts on skin?

This type of treatment breaks down the proteins that are in the affected skin, which will cause the wart to dissolve over time. You can also use liquid nitrogen as a way to remove warts as well.

What is the best wart remover?

The Dr. Scholl’s Dual Action Freeze Away Treatment is a great over the counter wart remover that you can try for plantar warts as well as other common types of warts. This product is a treatment process that combines freezer therapy with a liquid treatment to ensure that the wart is removed from the root and it never returns.

How many doses of wart remover are there?

If your wart seems to be resisting treatment, there are eight doses in the packaging so that you can ensure that the entire wart is removed. This wart remover comes with an applicator that is shaped like a cotton swab so that you can place the medication precisely where it needs to be to take care of the wart.

How long does it take for a wart to go away?

First, you will freeze the wart so that the top layer becomes damaged, and your body will begin to reject the wart. After 24 hours have passed, you can apply the liquid medication one or two times a day so that the salicylic acid can do its job.

Why do people go to the doctor for warts?

It is the first option that many go to when they have a wart because an over the counter remedy is much simpler than other types of removal that may require surgery. Also, using an over the counter option also means that you will not need to reveal your wart to your physician, which can be embarrassing for some.

Does compound W remove warts?

If you do not like the idea of freezing your warts off of your skin, Compound W also has an over the counter wart remover that comes in a gel form. The key ingredient in the gel is salicylic acid, which can be quite effective for removing warts.

Is there an over the counter wart remover for dogs?

The first product that we are going to review is an over the counter wart remover that is designed specifically with dogs in mind, but there is a variation that is designed for you to use as well. Both products have the same natural ingredients because they are designed to do the same thing: remove the wart.

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Diagnosis

Treatment

Clinical Trials

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

Medically reviewed by
Dr. Aakash Gupta
Your provider will work with you to develop a care plan that may include one or more of these treatment options.
Most warts are self-resolving. Certain home remedies or treatments could help manage them better. HPV vaccination prevents future infections, but is not a cure.
Medication

Keratolytic agents: Used in the form of patches over the warts.

Salicylic acid


Retinoids: To prevent skin cell growth.

Tretinoin


Terpenoids: Causes the skin under the wart to blister, lifting the wart off the skin.

Cantharidin

Procedures

Electrosurgery: Removal of wart by burning the skin that contains a wart.

Curettage: Removal of wart tissue using a scalpel or a small, sharp, spoon-shaped tool.

Laser surgery: Removal of wart using an intense beam of light, or laser, to burn and destroy the wart tissue.

Therapy

Cryotherapy:A mixture of chemicals is sprayed as cold air on the warts. The dead skin is removed by scraping.

Duct tape occlusion:The wart is covered by a duct tape for several days and then removed.

Immunotherapy:Uses interferons and contact sensitizers to fight HPV.

Self-care

Always talk to your provider before starting anything.

  • Avoid touching or pricking the warts as they are contagious.
  • Do not share your clothes, utensils, objects.
  • Avoid physical or sexual contact when you have warts.

Nutrition

Foods to eat:

  • Foods rich in vitamins and minerals: e.g. dark, leafy greens, sea vegetables, spinach, kale, pumpkin
  • Antioxidant rich Foods: e.g. broccoli, blueberries, tomatoes, and cherries
  • Foods rich in proteins: e.g. meat, fish, tofu beans, nuts

Foods to avoid:

  • Foods containing trans fats: e.g. cakes, cookies, crackers, donuts, margarine and fast Foods such as french fries

Specialist to consult

Dermatologist
Specializes in the study of the skin and its disorders.
Primary care physician
Specializes in the acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health.

Preparing For Your Appointment

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