What Is Wart Removal?
Curettage involves scraping off (curetting) the wart with a sharp knife or small, spoon-shaped tool. These two procedures often are used together. The dermatologist may remove the wart by scraping it off before or after electrosurgery. Excision: The doctor may cut out the wart (excision).
Warts are tiny skin infections caused by viruses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. Although kids get warts most often, teens and adults can get them too. Sometimes warts are sexually transmitted and appear in the genital area. But most warts affect the fingers, hands, face, and feet.
There are more than 100 types of HPV. Warts can grow on all parts of your body. They can grow on your skin, on the inside of your mouth, on your genitals, and on your rectal area. Common types of HPV tend to cause warts on the skin (such as the hands and fingers). Other HPV types tend to cause warts on the genitals and rectal area. Some people are more naturally resistant to the HPV viruses and don’t seem to get warts as easily as other people.
Procedure Of Wart removal
There are many ways to remove common warts from the skin (such as on the fingers, feet, and knees). Talk to your doctor about which treatment is right for you. Also talk with your doctor before treating warts on your face.
Applying salicylic acid
You can treat warts on places such as the hands, feet, or knees by putting salicylic acid (one brand name: Compound W) on the warts. After you take a bath or shower, pat your skin dry with a towel. Then apply the salicylic acid. The acid sinks in deeper and works better when it is applied to damp skin. Before you take a shower or a bath the next day, use an emery board or pumice stone to file away the dead surface of the warts. Apply the acid every day for many weeks as directed.
Applying cantharidin
Your doctor may “paint” the chemical cantharidin on your warts. Most people don’t feel any pain when the chemical is applied. However, you may experience some pain and blistering of the wart about 3 to 8 hours later. Follow your doctor’s instructions for at-home care. When you return to your doctor for your follow-up visit, they will remove the dead skin of the wart. If the wart isn’t gone after one treatment, your doctor may suggest another treatment.
Applying liquid nitrogen
Your doctor may use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart. This treatment is called cryotherapy or cryosurgery. This is a two-step process that does not hurt the skin around the wart. Applying liquid nitrogen to the wart causes a little discomfort. To completely remove a wart, the treatments may be needed every 1 to 3 weeks for a total of 2 to 4 times. If no improvement is noted, your doctor may recommend another type of treatment.
Other treatments for warts on the skin
Your doctor may choose to burn the wart, cut it out, or remove it with a laser. These treatments are effective, but they may leave a scar. They are normally reserved for warts that have not cleared up with other treatments.
Types Of Warts
Healthcare providers classify warts based on how they look, the HPV strain (type) that causes them, and/or what parts of your body they affect
- Common warts (Verrucca vulgaris)
Common warts typically appear on your hands. They most often feel like rough bumps and can have black dots that look like seeds. The black dots are actually smothered and dead capillaries. They range from the size of a pinhead to the size of a pea. HPV types 2 and 4 (most common) cause common warts in addition to types 1, 3, 7, 27, 29 and 57.
- Plantar warts
Planter warts typically form on your feet, especially the soles (plantar surface) of your feet. They’re often flat or grow inward and can have black dots. They can become quite large and cause pain when you stand or walk. HPV types 1, 2, 4, 27 and 57 cause plantar warts.
- Mosaic warts
These warts are white and about the size of a pinhead. They typically form on the balls of your feet or under your toes. But they can spread and cover larger areas of your foot. Mosaic warts are flatter than plantar warts, and they only rarely hurt when you walk. HPV type 2 causes mosaic warts.
- Flat warts
These warts can develop anywhere on your body. They’re smaller and smoother than other warts and tend to grow in large numbers, like 20 to 100 at a time. HPV types 3, 10 and 28 cause flat warts.
- Filiform warts
These warts look like long threads that stick out. They often grow on your face — around your mouth, eyes and nose. HPV types 1, 2, 4, 27 and 29 cause filiform warts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salicylic acid may be the most effective topical wart-removal treatment. It’s available over-the-counter in several forms, including as a concentrated liquid, gel, or adhesive pad. It’s also available in varying strengths. Before using, talk to your doctor about the type and strength of salicylic acid you should use.
- Cantharidin. …
- Cryotherapy. …
- Electrosurgery/Curettage. …
- Excision. …
- Laser treatment. …
- Chemical peels. …
- Bleomycin. …
- Immunotherapy.
If you decide to treat your own wart, your first-choice remedy should be an over-the-counter medication in liquid, gel, pad, or ointment form. Most of these contain salicylic acid, which softens abnormal skin cells and dissolves them. Some examples are Compound W, Duofilm, and Occlusal HP.
Most common warts go away without treatment, though it may take a year or two and new ones may develop nearby. Some people choose to have their warts treated by a doctor because home treatment isn’t working and the warts are bothersome, spreading or a cosmetic concern.
Cryotherapy is done in a clinic and involves applying liquid nitrogen to the wart, either with a spray or a cotton swab. This method can be painful, so your health care provider may numb the area first. The freezing causes a blister to form around your wart, and the dead tissue sloughs off within a week or so.