About Wart Removal
Warts are outgrowth lesions on skin. Most of the types of warts are contagious. They spread from person to person by direct contact through the skin. Kids and immunocompromised patients are mostly at risk.
How to treat Warts:
- Cantharidin: We may treat a wart by “painting” it with cantharidin. Cantharidin causes a blister to form under the wart.
- Cryosurgery: For common warts in adults and older children, cryosurgery (freezing) is the most common treatment.
- Electrosurgery and curettage: Electrosurgery (burning) is a good treatment for common warts, filiform warts, and foot warts. Curettage involves scraping off (curetting) the wart with a sharp knife or small, spoon-shaped tool. These two procedures often are used together.
- Laser treatment: Laser treatment is an option, mainly for warts that have not responded to other therapies.
Details
- Treatment Time 30 Minutes
- Discomfort Level None to Mild
- Anesthesia Injectable or Topical
- Recovery Time 1-2 weeks
Questions & Answers
Do you have a question about Warts? To get started, ask your family physician for a requisition form to book an appointment with Dr. Neel Malhotra and we look forward to seeing you at our clinic.
Are warts contagious?
The HPV virus that causes warts can be passed on to someone through direct contact such as shaking someone’s hand or indirect contact such as, sharing towels, clothes and walking barefoot on a changing room floor.
Can I treat the warts at home?
Cryotherapy and laser removal are the two most commonly done treatments. At home treatments do not usually work well and do not prevent reoccurrence.
Do warts cause cancer?
Most warts are harmless, and only a very small number of these viruses have been linked to cancer, these are mainly in the cervical or anal area.
Are there any side effects of wart removal?
There are no side effects of wart removal.