How to Remove Small Warts

While they may be unsightly, most warts tend to be harmless. Occasionally, they may be painful or they may bleed. If you are concerned about a wart, see your doctor for professional medical care. In some cases, the wart may disappear on its own; however, this can take months or years. You may be able to remove a wart yourself with home treatments. If these are ineffective for you, your doctor may recommend other treatments such as freezing the wart off with cryotherapy or applying a medication.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Water
• Salicylic acid
• Pumice stone
• Duct tape
• Plastic wrap

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Instructions

Salicylic Acid

• 1

  Soak the area of skin hosting the wart in a bowl of warm water for about 10 to 20 minutes, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic.

• 2

  Apply salicylic acid to the wart. This is an ingredient found in many over-the-counter wart removal products. It may be applied as a gel solution or as a patch. Each product will have specific directions, but generally it should be applied at least once daily.

• 3

  Rub a pumice stone across the wart using gentle strokes. Do this in between treatments of salicylic acid. This can help file the wart down, but stop doing this if the skin becomes irritated.

Duct Tape

• 4

  Cover the wart with a piece of duct tape. Allow the duct tape to remain on the skin constantly for about six days, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic. For bathing purposes, cover the duct-taped area with a piece of plastic wrap to avoid wetting it.

• 5

  Remove the duct tape after six days and soak the wart in warm water for about 10 to 20 minutes. Gently remove skin cells from the wart by rubbing it with a pumice stone.

• 6

  Repeat this process by applying more duct tape. You may need to repeat these steps for about two months to completely remove the wart. In some cases, this method is insufficient for complete removal, and you may require professional medical help.