Your doctor can help you remove treatment-resistant warts. And you should also see a professional for warts on your genitals or other sensitive areas, according to the National Institutes of Health. But you can remove plantar warts, which grow on your feet, and common warts on your fingers, hands or limbs with treatments from your local pharmacy. Salicylic acid gets rid of them at a lower cost than a doctor's appointment and prescription medication or medical removal.
Step 1
Purchase a home wart treatment that contains salicylic acid. The active ingredient will be listed on the label. Choose the most appropriate form for your wart. You can buy adhesive pads for plantar warts and pads or liquid for other areas, according to MayoClinic.com. Be prepared to cover the wart with a bandage after liquid application.
Step 2
Take a shower or bath. Pat the wart with a towel after getting out of the tub or shower, but don't dry it completely. The American Academy of Family Physicians advises that it's easier to treat a wart when it is moist. Damp skin allows the removal product to be absorbed more deeply and effectively.
Step 3
Apply the wart removal product according to its label directions. An adhesive pad generally requires you to peel off the backing and place the pad so the medicated surface has contact with the wart. Liquid usually needs to be applied directly to the growth, then covered with an adhesive bandage with the pad positioned over the wart.
Step 4
Remove the pad or bandage before you take a bath or shower the next day. The AAFP recommends using a pumice stone or nail file to rub off the dead surface of the wart after you uncover it.
Step 5
Reapply the wart remover product after your bath or shower, and re-cover the wart if necessary. Use a fresh pad or bandage.
Step 6
Repeat the process every day for as long as it takes to completely remove the wart. The salicylic acid will prepare another layer to be filed off every day. The AAFP advises the complete removal process can take several weeks.
Tips and Warnings
- Warts are caused by a virus, so the growth can potentially return, but the AAFP says this won't usually happen. Your immune system usually deals with any small fragments that were not removed by the medication. You can treat the wart again with salicylic acid if it does come back or talk to your doctor about more aggressive solutions.
- Dispose of the nail file or pumice stone you used on your warts when the removal is complete. You can spread warts to other parts of your body if you re-use the file or stone, and they can be passed along to anyone else who uses it.
Things You'll Need
- Salicylic acid wart remover
- Bandages (if required)
- Nail file or pumice stone
