Warts are small, round, fleshy growths that appear on the surface of your skin and are commonly found on the hands and feed. This lesion is a product of the human papilloma virus (HPV) and can also be triggered by internal factors, such as stress. Most warts disappear on their own, but some may be more resilient, and the risk of a recurring wart is always present. Some warts may also be cancerous, increasing the risk of having these developments on your skin. Fortunately, warts can be removed, if not through simple home remedies, then by a doctor.
Try a Wart Patch Treatment
Step 1
Apply a wart patch or medication containing salicylic acid onto your skin. Many over-the-counter medications feature high concentrations of salicylic acid to help eliminate the infected skin and kill the wart. MayoClinic.com recommends soaking your skin in warm water for 10 to 20 minutes before application.
Step 2
Place a clean patch onto your skin over the wart. You will wear this patch on the skin throughout the day, or as directed on the patch's packaging.
Step 3
Apply a new patch every day until the wart disappears. Your skin may become irritated through this treatment, but this can be taken as a sign that the acid is running its course.
Use a Duct Tape Treatment
Step 1
Place duct tape over the wart entirely, making sure it is difficult for air to exit or get underneath the tape patch. Leave this duct tape on your wart for six days. According to MayoClinic.com, duct tape was determined in one study to eliminate more warts than cryotherapy, a doctor-applied freezing procedure.
Step 2
After six days, soak the wart or warts in warm water for 10 to 20 minutes, then use a pumice stone to wear away the wart flesh and dead skin.
Step 3
Repeat this process for up to two months. While later medical studies have dismissed this treatment as an effective approach, some individuals still report success through it.
Tips and Warnings
- If at-home remedies don't solve your wart problems, consider visiting your doctor to discuss options for removing the wart, including excision, which involves cutting out the wart entirely, or using cryotherapy to freeze and remove the warts. These treatments can help quickly remove the wart while preventing the wart from re-developing in the skin, although they are more expensive alternatives than at-home remedies.
Things You'll Need
- Salicylic acid
- Duct tape
- Pumice stone
