Warts are easily diagnosed: they are typically small, fleshy, grainy bumps on the skin’s surface. They are rough to the touch and can be flesh-colored, white, pink, or tan. Over the counter treatments containing salicylic acid are a good first step. These treatments are often more effective if you wash the wart and gently file it down with a pumice stone before applying the treatment. Just be careful: avoid touching things while treating your wart and wash your hands immediately afterwards to avoid spreading the virus that causes the wart.
You can also self-treat with duct tape, per the 2002 study. Participants placed a piece of duct tape over their wart for six days, at which point they soaked their warts in water and gently rubbed with a pumice stone or emery board. They repeated this six-day process for up to two months, or until the warts went away. This technique was more effective than having a dermatologist burn off the wart.
If these methods are unsuccessful, a doctor can do one of the following:
Freeze off the wart with liquid nitrogen (also called cryotherapy).
Burn it off with electricity or a laser. A scar may develop and this treatment tends to be more expensive than others.
Excision, or minor surgery that cuts away the wart tissue from your skin. This method may also leave a scar.
Prescribe a topical medication.
Inject medicine into the wart.
