The best and easiest way to remove warts depends on the location of the wart. Some warts can be removed using an over-the-counter treatment such as salicyclic acid, while other warts need to be removed by a doctor. While safe for warts on the hands or feet, over-the-counter or home remedies shouldn't be used to remove warts on the genitals or on the face. A person who has another condition, such as diabetes, should see her doctor before attempting to remove warts.
Coating the wart in salicyclic acid is a very common and easy way to remove warts. Several types of wart treatments that contain salicylic acid are available, including patches that a person covers a wart with or gels or liquids that a person dabs onto the wart. Salicyclic acid must be applied daily or twice a day for a number of weeks. Most medications used to remove warts contain at least 17 percent salicyclic acid.
The acid removes warts by eating away at the protein that makes up the wart. Salicyclic acid treatments work best if applied to skin that is damp. The area should be bandaged after the acid is applied.
Another easy way to remove warts is to cover the wart with a strip of duct tape. The tape needs to stay on the wart for a least six days. After the six days, a person should soak the wart in warm water and then use a pumice stone or emery board to remove the dried skin. A person may need to re-cover the wart with the duct tape for another week and then rub away excess skin again. It typically takes about eight weeks for duct tape therapy to remove the wart.
If the wart persists despite home treatment, a person may need to see a doctor to remove the wart. A common, simple treatment in the doctor's office involves freezing the wart. During cryotherapy, a doctor applies liquid nitrogen to the wart. The liquid nitrogen causes a blister to form underneath the wart so that it can be removed with a pumice stone or eventually falls off on its own. Freezing a wart typically works well but can be painful compared to other treatments.
In many cases, warts will clear up on their own without any treatment. If a person can be patient and does not experience pain or embarrassment from a wart, the easiest way to remove it may be to wait for it to resolve on its own.