What’s the Best Treatment for Common Warts? | Mira (2024)

Common warts are caused by excessive skin cell growth due to infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Most common warts will go away on their own without any treatment in about a year or two, but others may grow nearby. There are lots of treatments for removing common warts, and some can even be done at home. Overall, the best treatment is salicylic acid.

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Best Treatments for Common Warts

When trying to get rid of your warts, you want to find a highly effective treatment, causes minimal scarring, and is relatively inexpensive in most cases. There are different treatments recommended depending on the type of wart. Common warts usually have a raised surface and can be light-colored to a gray-brown. These typically appear on the hands but can be in other locations as well.

Some of the best treatments for common warts include:

  • Salicylic Acid
  • Cryotherapy
  • Duct Tape Therapy
  • Laser Treatment
  • Electrosurgery & Curettage

Salicylic Acid: Best Overall

This should usually be your first choice when starting treatment for your warts. The solution is applied to the wart several times a day for several weeks. A thin layer will form over the wart, which is removed before adding the next layer. Sometimes, even the top layer of the wart can be carefully removed. Compared to a placebo treatment, salicylic acid is more effective and removes common warts within 12 weeks in about 70% of cases.

In addition to being highly effective, salicylic acid can also be purchased over the counter without a prescription. No doctor's visit is required to utilize this treatment, which comes in creams, gels, liquids, and patches. There are also varying concentrations that can be used, but higher percentages should only be used on thicker skin. Salicylic acid use also comes with minimal side effects and scarring. Only in rare cases does it cause skin irritation and pain.

What’s the Best Treatment for Common Warts? | Mira (2024)

FAQs

What’s the Best Treatment for Common Warts? | Mira? ›

For common warts, look for a 17% salicylic acid

salicylic acid
Salicylic acid topical is used to treat many skin disorders, such as acne, dandruff, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis of the skin and scalp, calluses, corns, common warts, and plantar warts, depending on the dosage form and strength of the preparation. This medicine is available without a prescription.
https://www.mayoclinic.org › description › drg-20066030
solution. These products (Compound W, Dr. Scholl's Clear Away, others) are used daily, often for a few weeks. For best results, soak your wart in warm water for a few minutes before applying the product.

What is the most effective treatment for common warts? ›

Warts are often treated with a salicylic acid solution or cryotherapy. These are also the best-studied treatments.

How do you get rid of common warts fast? ›

Research has shown cryotherapy effectively removes warts in 50–70% of cases after 3–4 treatments. Cryotherapy may remove warts more quickly than salicylic acid.

What is prescribed for common warts? ›

Injecting a drug called bleomycin into the wart (which kills the virus), used for severe cases. Injecting candida antigen to stimulate the body's immune system to fight off the wart. Prescribing a topical medication called imiquimod (Aldara), which improves your body's fighting capabilities.

Do common warts eventually go away? ›

Warts are small, usually painless growths on the skin caused by a virus. The typical wart is a raised round or oval growth on the skin with a rough surface. Common warts tend to cause no discomfort unless they are in areas of repeated friction or pressure. Warts often go away on their own within two years.

Can I remove warts on my own? ›

Home remedies — such as salicylic acid, cryotherapy, and apple cider vinegar — may help remove warts, skin lesions that stem from the human papillomavirus (HPV). In children and adolescents, most warts will clear up on their own within 1–2 years .

What is the gold standard treatment for warts? ›

Shaving the surface of the wart and applying a higher concentrated salicylic acid. This is the gold standard treatment for warts. It is safe and easy to apply. Cryotherapy (freezing treatment), similar to the freezing sprays, however we apply liquid nitrogen to the wart.

What is the main cause of warts? ›

Warts are caused by certain strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV). There are lots of different strains of HPV and these cause different types of warts. HPV causes too much keratin (a hard protein) to develop in the top skin layer (epidermis). The extra keratin produces the rough, hard texture of a wart.

What is the best product to remove warts? ›

For common warts, look for a 17% salicylic acid solution. These products (Compound W, Dr. Scholl's Clear Away, others) are used daily, often for a few weeks. For best results, soak your wart in warm water for a few minutes before applying the product.

Does vinegar really get rid of warts? ›

There is currently no scientific research to suggest that apple cider vinegar is an effective treatment for warts. The idea behind this treatment is that the acid should destroy the wart tissue, in a similar way that salicylic acid does.

Should I be worried about common warts? ›

Common warts are caused by a virus and are transmitted by touch. It can take 2 to 6 months for a wart to develop. The warts are usually harmless and over time go away on their own. But many people choose to remove them because they find them bothersome or embarrassing.

Why does duct tape work on warts? ›

One theory is that the tape deprives the skin cells of oxygen. By “suffocating” the wart, the duct tape makes it more likely that the skin cells will die. The process of applying and removing the duct tape may also remove additional skin cells, which can make the wart less bulky and noticeable.

Do common warts mean HPV? ›

Skin warts are growths on the skin that are caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection is common; there are different types, some of which can cause warts. The types of HPV that cause common warts, plantar warts, or flat warts are usually different from the types of HPV that cause genital warts.

Is it OK to leave warts untreated? ›

Warts are harmless. In most cases, they go away on their own within months or years. If warts spread or cause pain, or if you don't like the way they look, you may want to treat them. Treatments for warts don't always work.

How to remove warts naturally? ›

Home remedies from your kitchen
  1. Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is an acidic substance made from fermented apple juice. ...
  2. Banana peel. Anecdotal evidence suggests that banana peel might help get rid of warts. ...
  3. Garlic. Garlic, a traditional home remedy. ...
  4. Orange peel. ...
  5. Pineapple. ...
  6. Potato. ...
  7. Dandelion weed.

Is it okay to pop a wart? ›

Don't rub, scratch, or pick at the wart becaue this could spread the virus to another part of the body or cause the wart to get infected.

What is the first line treatment for warts? ›

Salicylic acid is often a first-line agent for the common wart. It requires no prescription and can be used by the patient at home. It has cure rates of 50% to 70%. Cryotherapy, retinoic acid, podophyllin, topical 5-fluorouracil, interferon, and imiquimod are also used for treatment.

How do you permanently get rid of HPV warts? ›

Some cells in the normal-appearing genital skin and vagin* may remain infected with HPV. There is currently no treatment that will permanently get rid of HPV in all infected cells, but most people will clear the virus and the warts with their own immune systems within two years.

What kills common wart virus on surfaces? ›

We encourage people to make sure they use a little anti-virus spray or a little diluted bleach to spray the bathtub to kill any wart virus that might be living there to help prevent the spread of the virus.

What is the best skin care for warts? ›

“I will often recommend patients use a topical salicylic acid or prescription medication and then cover that area with a piece of duct tape,” says LaCour. For some, like foot warts, go ahead and apply salicylic acid on the wart and cover it with a band-aid during the day.

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