How to Heal or Remove a Wart

Warts, though unsightly, are a fairly common occurrence. It is estimated that three out of four people will develop a wart sometime over the course of their lives, usually on their hands or feet. These skin infections are caused by a virus called HPV (human papilloma virus) and thankfully, they're easy to treat. Various treatments available for treating warts -- some work for some people while others don't -- so you may need to try out several methods before you find one that works on your wart.

Things You'll Need

• Wart remover, such as Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away
• Duct tape
• Emery board

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Instructions

• 1

  Apply an over-the-counter wart remover that features salicylic acid, such as Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away. These types of treatments must be applied every day until the wart is gone, which could take several weeks or more in some cases. Additionally, the wart can be gently filed on a daily basis with an emery board. This will remove the dead surface of the wart as it begins to diminish.

• 2

  See your doctor to have the wart removed using liquid nitrogen--which is called cryotherapy--if an over-the-counter treatment does not work after about four weeks . This treatment may need to be repeated several times over a period of several weeks at your doctor's discretion and if the wart does not begin fading away.

• 3

  Ask your doctor about receiving treatment with a chemical called cantharidin to remove the wart, which is a painless procedure that involves the doctor "painting" the cantharidin on the wart and applying a bandage. The wart will begin to blister within a matter of days, and the dead skin can then be peeled away--preferably by a doctor. This treatment should only be tried after cryotherapy fails to remove the wart, and it should never be used by those with diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, or other circulatory diseases. It should also not be used around the genital area.

• 4

  Discuss surgically removing the wart with your doctor, though this can be painful and it may leave a scar. This option should only be considered after all of the other treatments listed above have been tried and failed. In most cases, surgery will not be needed, as most of the other treatments available are very effective.

• 5

  Attempt to remove the wart using duct tape, which is believed to be more effective than cryotherapy by many doctors. Duct tape can be used one of two ways. First, it can be applied over the wart for about six days. Once it's removed, soak the wart and file it down with an emery board.