What should you know about common wart removal?

A common wart is a rough, firm skin growth caused by a type of human papillomavirus. Warts often appear on fingers, hands, or around the nails, and they can spread through skin contact or shared personal items. A dark dot or interrupted skin lines can occur, but these features are not enough to diagnose every bump. A clinician may check whether the growth could instead be a corn, callus, molluscum, or another lesion.

Treatment is chosen according to the wart’s size, number, site, and effect on daily activities. Pharmacy products containing salicylic acid can gradually loosen thickened tissue, while cryotherapy freezes the lesion and may cause temporary tenderness, blistering, or a change in skin colour. Persistent, painful, bleeding, or nail-side warts may need a clinician-led procedure. Do not cut, burn, or pick at a wart, and avoid sharing towels, nail tools, or footwear. Keep the area covered if it is likely to rub against other skin.

Arrange an assessment if the growth changes quickly, bleeds without being disturbed, becomes very painful, or does not resemble a typical wart. Seek advice sooner for a lesion on the face or genitals, a wart near the eye, widespread growths, or any wart in a person with diabetes, reduced sensation, poor circulation, or a weakened immune system. A clinician may need to confirm the diagnosis before treatment.

Ask whether the lesion is definitely a wart, which option suits its location, how to protect nearby skin, and what signs would mean the treatment should be paused or reviewed.