Home Treatment of Warts

Important Points to Remember

  • Home treatment is very successful.
  • Home treatment is not painful – an important consideration when treating children.
  • Your wart must be treated EVERY night. If you are not consistent about painting nightly, little progress will be made.
  • It may take as long as 12 weeks before you notice an improvement. Do not give up too soon!
  • Warts are caused by a virus and are contagious. Until your wart has cleared, it is important to use your own towel and to clean your bath or shower thoroughly after use.

Procedure

  1. Remove any plaster or strapping.
  2. Wash the affected area in your bath, or in a bowl of hot soapy water, and soak for at least 5 minutes.
  3. Dry with your own towel.
  4. Rub away any old paint, hard or dead skin from the surface of the wart with a pumice stone or piece of emery board. This step can be omitted once the wart has become soft and flat.
  5. Apply a drop of wart paint to the centre of the wart and allow to dry.
  6. If the wart is on the side of the toe, it should be covered with an adhesive plaster so it is not in contact with the neighbouring toe.
  7. It is very important that treatment is not stopped until the wart has completely disappeared.
  8. If the wart becomes painful, stop treating it and make an appointment with the practice nurse.