How to Cure Viral Warts

Viral warts (Verruca vulgaris) are part of the human papillomavirus group. The size, shape and color of viral warts are variable, and they can appear almost anywhere on the body, though hands and feet are most common areas of infection. There are many treatments for viral warts. For traditional medical treatments, such as freezing, chemical catharadin, or prescription medication, consult with your dermatologist. Before doing so, however, there a few at-home remedies that you can try in order to cure viral warts.

Things You'll Need

• Topical wart treatment cream or patch
• Duct tape
• Warm water
• Nail or skin file

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Instructions

Topical Treatments

• 1

  Purchase a reputable topical wart treatment (either cream or patch) medication from a drug store. Some brands include Compound W and Occlusal HP. Make sure that the wart treatment contains 17 percent salicylic acid. This ingredient will cause the skin to peel, which is the desired affect of topical treatments.

• 2

  Soak the infected area in warm water for 15 minutes.

• 3

  File any dead skin away from the wart or warts. Be careful not to irritate the skin or expose living tissue, as this may harm your skin after you apply the topical wart cream or patch.

• 4

  Apply a layer of the topical wart cream or patch to the skin once a day for up to a month.

Duct Tape Treatment

• 5

  Cover the wart or warts with a small piece of duct tape. It should be just large enough to fully cover the wart, but not extend too far onto the surrounding skin.

• 6

  Leave the tape on the skin for six days. If the tape falls off during that period of time, simply add a piece to replace it.

• 7

  Remove the tape after six days and immediately wash the residue from the wart area.

• 8

  Soak the wart area in warm water for up to 15 minutes.

• 9

  File away any dead skin when the wart area is dry. Repeat this treatment for up to eight weeks, or until the warts disappear.