What should you know about killing warts?

A wart is a rough skin growth caused by a common virus that can spread through close skin contact or by touching contaminated surfaces. Removing the visible thickened skin does not always remove the virus immediately, so a wart may return or another one may appear nearby. Picking, cutting, or burning it yourself can injure healthy skin and spread the infection.

Warts on the hands, feet, or other areas can behave differently. A wart on the sole may grow inward under pressure and feel tender when walking. A clinician should assess growths on the face or genitals because they may need different treatment and may not be an ordinary common wart.

For a typical wart, a pharmacist or clinician may suggest a salicylic-acid preparation that gradually softens the thickened surface. Use it only as directed, protect surrounding skin, and stop if severe irritation develops. Do not apply wart products to broken skin or use them without medical guidance if you have diabetes, poor circulation, reduced sensation, or a weakened immune system.

A dermatologist may choose cryotherapy, which freezes the lesion, or electrosurgery, which uses heat and electrical energy to remove tissue. Other prescription treatment may stimulate a local immune response. Several appointments can sometimes be needed, and treated skin may be sore, blistered, crusted, or temporarily changed in colour. Keep the area clean, avoid sharing towels or nail tools, and do not shave across the wart.

Arrange a medical assessment if the growth bleeds, changes quickly, becomes very painful, develops an unusual colour, or does not look like a typical wart. Seek advice before treating a growth on the face, genitals, or near a nail. A clinician should also review numerous, recurring, or stubborn lesions and any wart in a person with reduced immunity.

After treatment, contact the clinic if redness spreads, swelling worsens, pus appears, or pain becomes difficult to control. These changes can signal infection or a reaction that needs attention. For an assessment or procedure, see [Wart Removal](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/wart-removal/), [Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal)](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/cryotherapy-lesion-removal/), [Electrosurgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/electrosurgery/), or [Imiquimod Treatment](/treatments/medical-dermatology/imiquimod-therapy/).

Ask what confirms the diagnosis, whether the location changes the treatment choice, how to protect nearby skin, and what healing changes are expected. You can also ask how long to continue treatment, how to reduce spread to family members, and what to do if the growth returns.