What should you know about TCA wart removal?

TCA stands for trichloroacetic acid. A trained clinician applies it precisely to a wart so the treated tissue breaks down and healthy skin can replace it. The strength and schedule depend on the wart’s site, thickness, and appearance. A treated area may sting, whiten, crust, or feel tender while it heals. A wart can return because treatment removes visible tissue but does not always clear the virus from nearby skin.

Have the growth examined before using an acid, especially if it bleeds, changes, or has an unusual colour. Do not apply household acids or pick at the treated surface. Follow the clinic’s dressing and washing instructions, keep the area protected from friction, and avoid sharing towels, nail tools, or razors. Tell the clinician about diabetes, poor circulation, reduced sensation, immune problems, or medicines that affect healing.

Contact the treating clinic if pain, swelling, warmth, drainage, or redness is increasing rather than settling, or if you develop a fever. Seek prompt assessment for a rapidly changing lesion, persistent bleeding, spreading redness, or a sore that does not heal. A new growth near the eye, on the genitals, or under a nail deserves professional diagnosis before treatment.

Ask whether the growth has features of a wart, how many sessions may be needed, what healing changes are expected, and which activities or products to avoid. Ask what to do if the lesion returns and whether another approach, such as Wart Removal, would suit its location.