From the Guidelines
Home removal of warts is not recommended as most treatments require substantial clinical training and equipment.
Methods for Removing Warts at Home
However, some home remedies may have potential efficacy, although there is little evidence base for their use 1.
- Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) 80%-90% can be applied to warts, but this requires proper training to avoid overtreatment or undertreatment 1.
- It is essential to note that these methods can cause pain, necrosis, and blistering, and their use at home is not recommended without proper medical supervision.
- Other methods, such as electrocautery, tangential excision, and curettage, are not suitable for home removal as they require substantial clinical training, additional equipment, and a longer office visit 1. It is crucial to consult a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and treatment of warts to avoid complications and ensure effective removal.
From the Research
Methods for Removing Warts at Home
There are several methods that can be used to remove warts at home, including:
- Salicylic acid treatment: This involves applying a salicylic acid solution to the wart and covering it with a bandage 2, 3
- Duct tape therapy: This involves applying a small piece of duct tape directly to the wart and removing it every 4 to 7 days, then cleaning the area and removing dead skin with an emery board 4
- Topical vitamin A treatment: This involves applying a topical vitamin A solution to the wart, which has been shown to be effective in treating common warts 5
- Cryotherapy: While cryotherapy is typically performed in a clinical setting, some at-home cryotherapy kits are available, which use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart 2, 3
- Traditional medicine remedies: Various substances and methods of plant, animal, and mineral origin are used as home remedies for warts, although the effectiveness of these remedies is not well established 6
Effectiveness of Home Remedies
The effectiveness of these home remedies varies, with some studies showing promising results:
- A study using combined cryotherapy and 70% salicylic acid treatment found an 89.2% rate of eradication of verrucae in 86.2% of patients 2
- A case study using topical vitamin A treatment found that the warts were replaced with normal skin after 70 days to 6 months of treatment 5
- A study on duct tape therapy found limited evidence for its effectiveness, but it is a safe and well-tolerated treatment that can be tried at home 4