Cures for the Common Wart

Common warts are skin growths that form under the skin. It is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). They usually grow on the outer layers of the skin such as the hands or fingers. There are several forms of treatment to cure and prevent the spread of warts to various parts of the body.

Treatment

• Cryotherapy or liquid nitrogen therapy, also known as freezing, can be used to treat warts. The doctor will freeze your warts by using liquid nitrogen. After the wart is frozen, blisters form under the wart and around it, which allows the dead tissues to slough a week after treatment. This treatment is usually not that painful but repeated treatment may be required.

  Cantharidin is a form of treatment that uses extract from the blister beetle. There are other chemicals that are mixed with the blister beetle extract that are applied to the skin. You will need to use a bandage to cover the extract. A blister will form under the wart to lift the wart off of the skin. The dead wart can then be removed. Appling the blister beetle extract is usually painless, but the formation of the blister may be uncomfortable.

  When surgery is performed, your doctor can use two methods. One form of surgery will cut away the tissues of your wart. Electrodessication and curettage is another form of surgery that uses an electric needle to treat your wart. An anesthetic is required before surgery and the injection may be painful. This form of treatment is usually the last option of treatment, and it may leave a scar. Laser surgery can also leave a scar and also is typically used as a last resort.

Medication

• Medication is used to cure warts when they have not responded to other treatments. Topical immunotherapy works to build up your body's natural rejection symptom. Imiquimod (Aldara) or squaric acid dibutylester (SADBE) are the most common forms of immunotherapy.