Warts: nobody likes them, but so many people get them. A wart is a virus and, unfortunately, there are many different wart viruses. A wart isolates itself off from the body so the body does not recognize or see it, making it difficult to treat. These small, round growths are uncomfortable, irritating, and can be embarrassing. Getting rid of this problem is possible, but you have to know how to remove a wart. We’ll discuss methods you can try at home, natural remedies, and what you might expect if you see a doctor to remove your wart.
How to Remove a Wart
At-Home kits
Many people go to at-home kits for their warts first. The only caveat here is that you need to be sure you have a wart, not a callus, corn, or other skin condition (check with a doctor if you are unsure). These over-the-counter methods usually use salicylic acid, which should take six weeks to take effect. This method has a 50% rate of effectiveness. You can pick up one of these convenient, accessible, and safe treatments at any drugstore.
Natural remedies
These fixes for warts are not backed by science (and therefore may not be as effective or trustworthy), but a percentage of people have tried them and agree that they work. Some report:
- Soaking the wart and surrounding area in pineapple juice. The juice’s vitamin C and acidic properties are said to break down the wart.
- Crushing vitamin C tablets and mixing with water to form a paste, then covering the wart in the paste.
- Crushing basil leaves, putting them on the wart, and bandaging the area. Basil is said to have many antiviral properties (and warts are caused by a virus).
- Placing a piece of duct tape over the wart.
These methods hopefully cause enough irritation to the skin that the body will produce the inflammation process to the area of the wart, recognize the wart, and begin to break it down. Again, these methods may be safe, but science does not support them.
At the doctor’s office
Seeing a physician for your wart is the safest and most effective way to remove one. Different physician will have different methods for removal, such as:
- Surgical removal (cutting off the wart)
- Topical solutions (prescription-strength salicylic acid or squaric acid, for example)
- “Freezing” the warts off. Warts are in the shape of a cone and the base of the wart must be treated in order for this treatment to be effective, if not, the treatment will be unsuccessful. It is difficult to treat the base of a wart with this method and in the process of trying, the surrounding skin may be treated, which could cause a blister to occur and possibly a decrease of pigmentation, causing a scar.
Due to the risk of scars, blistering, or ineffective treatments that have been listed above, at DermaHealth we choose to use a different method. We inject the wart with Candida, an antigen for warts. This method introduces Candida (a yeast) into the body, which the body can recognize as a foreign substance. When the body begins to help heal the area of the Candida, it recognizes the wart in the area as a foreign body as well and begins to attack. This not only can help break down the wart itself but can also help to create long-term immunity to warts. The amount of injection one needs can vary from person to person.
If you’re in need of wart removal—or treatment for any other skin problem—and you live in or around southwest Missouri, contact DermaHealth Laser & Skin Care Clinic. At our facilities, we can diagnosis your condition, remove your wart and offer any further necessary treatment, and advise you on any other skin concerns. Simply give us a call at 417-447-7777 or schedule a free consultation online. We look forward to hearing from you!
