Private warts & verrucas clinic in London, same-day dermatology.

What to expect if you do nothing

Doing nothing is a legitimate choice, particularly for children, and avoids months of treatment for something that was going to resolve anyway. Treat if a wart is painful, in an awkward place, spreading, or bothering you — those are good enough reasons.

Treatment that works

1. Salicylic acid is the best-evidenced self-treatment. Use a preparation of 15% or higher, or up to 50% for verrucas on the sole.
2. Soak the wart in warm water for five minutes first.
3. File the surface down with an emery board or pumice kept only for that purpose — never shared, and never used on other skin.
4. Apply the acid to the wart only, protecting the surrounding skin with petroleum jelly or a plaster with a hole cut in it.
5. Cover it, and repeat daily.
6. Keep going for up to twelve weeks. Most people stop at three or four and conclude it does not work.

• Duct tape occlusion has modest evidence, is harmless, and is worth trying in children who will not tolerate acid.
• Cryotherapy — freezing with liquid nitrogen — is done in clinic, usually every two to three weeks for several sessions. It is uncomfortable and blisters afterwards. Home freezing kits are considerably weaker.
• Combining acid and freezing works better than either alone.
• Persistent or extensive warts may need stronger treatments such as topical immunotherapy or, occasionally, minor surgery.

Limiting spread

• Do not pick, bite or shave over warts — this spreads them along the line of trauma.
• Cover verrucas with a waterproof plaster for swimming, and wear flip-flops in communal showers.
• Do not share towels, socks or files.
• Keep feet dry; wet skin is more easily infected.
• There is no need to keep a child off school or out of swimming lessons for a covered verruca.