Wart Treatment

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people seek treatment for warts, and their options for wart removal range from home wart treatment to complicated laser surgery and injections.

All warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). It's very common for your immune system to fight off the HPV infection on its own, and it's possible for warts to go away without treatment.

For warts on your hands and feet that you haven't had for a long time, home wart treatment might be your best option. Salicylic acid, a common over-the-counter treatment for warts available in pads and concentrated forms, is often successful in these cases.

Duct tape is another popular home wart treatment, and some studies have found it to be at least as effective as more complicated medical procedures. But if you have stubborn cases of warts, genital warts or warts on your face, it's best to see a medical professional for treatment for warts.

Professional Options for Treatment for Warts

Professionals use several methods for wart removal, including:

• Bleomycin: An antibiotic used to treat unresponsive warts that can't be treated with surgery, this anti-cancer drug targets the wart's DNA.
• Cantharidin: Sometimes known as the "beetle juice wart treatment," this chemical may be used on more stubborn warts with little scarring.
• Cryotherapy: Perhaps the most common surgical treatment for warts, this practice uses a freezing agent, like liquid nitrogen, to destroy warts.
• Electrosurgery: This process involves using an electric needle to remove the wart, but it may leave a scar.
• Immunotherapy: Operating on the same principle as vaccinations, a molecule is injected into the wart to stimulate antibody production.
• Laser surgery: Used when other forms of treatment for warts have failed, a laser beam is focused on the wart to destroy it.
• Natural wart treatment: Although they are most often used for home wart treatment, a number of natural remedies have a reputation for effective wart removal, although a patient's own immune system might be at work, too. Common treatments include using apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice and Chinese herbs.
• Retinoids: Dispensed as a cream or oral medication, this vitamin A-based treatment for warts is designed to stop your warts' skin cell growth.
• Salicylic acid: Doctors use a more concentrated form of salicylic acid than over-the-counter preparations—70 percent compared to 17 percent—to burn away warts.

Whichever form of treatment for warts you select, keep in mind that wart removal can require more than one treatment or one approach.

Resources

Lemont, H. (2006). Exploring current approaches to plantar warts. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.podiatrytoday.com/article/6440.

Mayo Clinic. (2010). Treatments and drugs. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/common-warts/DS00370/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs.

Warts Information Center. (2010). Aldara treatment for warts. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.warts.org/aldara-treatment.html.

Warts Information Center. (2010). Bleomycin treatment for wart removal. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.warts.org/bleomycin-treatment.html.

Warts Information Center. (2010). Cantharidin wart removal. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.warts.org/cantharidin-wart-removal.html.

Warts Information Center. (2010). Cryotherapy wart removal. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.warts.org/wart-cryotherapy.html.

Warts Information Center. (2010). Duct tape wart removal. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.warts.org/duct-tape-wart-removal.html.

Warts Information Center. (2010). Natural treatment for wart removal. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.warts.org/natural-wart-removal.html.

Warts Information Center. (2010). Warts. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.warts.org/wart-removal.html.

Warts Information Center. (2010). Warts immunotherapy. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from: http://www.warts.org/warts-immunotherapy.html.