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Non-Surgical Wart Removal

Exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV) results in skin growths known as warts. Common warts usually appear on the hands, feet and face. However, they can grow on other parts of the body. Warts tend to be harmless and go away on their own over time, but are highly contagious and can spread to other parts of the body. Warts can be unsightly and uncomfortable. There are many effective non-surgical wart removal treatments that may help.

  1. Salicylic Acid

    • Salicylic acid is the most common non-surgical wart removal solution. Salicylic acid comes in gel, solution and paste form. Salicylic acid gel is easy to find over-the-counter at your local drug store and is an attractive alternative to surgery because it is cost-efficient and relatively painless. However, salicylic acid wart removal can take several weeks to remove your warts.

    Cryotherapy

    • Your doctor may recommend cryotherapy if you need to remove warts immediately due to pain, discomfort or spreading. Cryotherapy entails the use of liquid nitrogen applications to freeze your wart, destroying it. This creates a blister, which forms underneath the wart. Dead tissue, including the blister and the wart, will rub off in around a week's time. This non-surgical wart removal alternative is a very effective treatment, but may require multiple applications to fully remove warts.

    Duct Tape

    • Duct tape treatment rivals cryotherapy in efficacy as a non-surgical wart removal option. Cover your wart with duct tape for two months. Change the tape every six days. Leave the wart uncovered overnight on the sixth night. Cover the wart again in the morning and leave the tape on for another six days. Repeat this process for two months. The wart should gradually slough off, or rub away.

    Bleomycin

    • Severe cases of warts may require your doctor to refer you to a dermatologist for a bleomycin treatment. Bleomycin---also known as Blenoxane---is a rarely used antiviral treatment for stubborn and severe wart infections. Your dermatologist will inject bleomycin into the wart as a non-surgical treatment option.

    Retinoids

    • Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives used to disrupt skin cell growth. Your doctor may prescribe a cream to apply to your wart or an oral retinoid treatment. Disrupting and inhibiting skin cell growth within the wart is an extreme, but effective non-surgical removal option.

    Immunotherapy

    • Immunotherapy is a non-surgical wart removal method that utilizes your body's natural defense to combat warts. Immunotherapy treatments include topical applications of squaric and dibutylester (SADBE) and Imiquimod gel (Aldara). Imiquimod is primarily used for genital wart treatment, but is effective on common warts as well.

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