Warts Treatment

Warts are small, protruding skin infections that occur as a results of the human papillomavirus. They appear most often on the hands and feet, although they can occur almost anywhere on the body, including the face. Warts usually have a rough, bumpy texture that is dry and looks similar to a cauliflower. Warts are not to be confused with moles, which are dark and often raised skin marks that are not caused by a virus.

Home Remedies

• Warts, for the most part, are not considered dangerous and will go away on their own within several years. Warts generally don't hurt, and people try to get rid of them only because they are unsightly and annoying. Common home remedies include placing a piece of duct tape on top of the wart, then leaving it on for one week. Peel off the duct tape, and the wart will usually become dry enough to peel right off with the tape. If the wart still does not come off, place another piece of duct tape over the wart and leave it on for an additional week. Be careful not to let any excess water inside the duct tape, or this remedy will not work.

  Another popular home remedy is soaking the wart in apple cider vinegar. Place the vinegar in a clean plastic container. Cover the container and leave it in the bathroom. After showering, place the afflicted area into the apple cider vinegar for five minutes, then dry it with a towel. Repeat once a day after showering until the wart has diminished.

Over-the-Counter Remedies

• The most effective over-the-counter remedies are slightly weaker versions of doctor's treatments. This includes at-home liquid nitrogen kits, which assist in freezing the wart, which will eventually cause it to fall off or disappear. Purchase these kits, like Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away Wart Remover, at your local drugstore. The kit will contain a freezing solution that should be placed directly on the wart multiple times, until the wart has disappeared. Usually the wart will either shrink until it eventually disappears, or dry out completely and fall off.

Doctor's Treatment

• If home remedies or over-the-counter treatments don't work, go to your general practitioner or dermatologist. He can freeze the wart using a stronger liquid nitrogen solution than what's available at the store, which will usually only take one application. Other doctor's treatments include cutting out the wart, which is only done if no other options work, because the process may leave scarring. The doctor will use a scalpel to cut around the wart and down under the skin to remove the base of the wart. The wound is then packed with gauze or stitched up to prevent infection. Other procedures include laser surgery, which is often used for clusters of warts or very small warts that are difficult to remove with liquid nitrogen. The laser burns the surface of the wart, causing it to dry up and fall off.