What to expect from imiquimod treatment for warts

Imiquimod is a topical medicine that encourages an immune response in the skin. Your clinician will identify which warts to treat and give instructions for the amount, frequency, and contact time. The wart may become red, swollen, itchy, scaly, or tender before it improves. Some warts need another approach if they do not respond or if the diagnosis is uncertain.

Do not assume every rough bump is a wart. A changing, bleeding, painful, or unusual lesion should be examined rather than treated at home. The cream is intended for the prescribed area and should not be shared with another person.

Apply the cream to clean, dry skin with washed hands, then wash your hands again. Follow the exact washing-off instructions and avoid eyes, lips, genital skin, and broken or inflamed areas unless your clinician has specifically prescribed treatment there. Avoid picking, cutting, or filing the wart while the skin is reacting.

Keep review appointments so treatment can be checked. If a dose is missed, follow the instructions you were given instead of applying extra cream. Protect nearby skin from unnecessary contact and keep the medicine out of children's reach.

Seek medical advice for severe burning, extensive blistering, open sores, pus, spreading redness, fever, or pain that keeps worsening. Arrange an assessment if the lesion changes quickly, bleeds without being rubbed, or does not behave like the wart your clinician diagnosed. Get urgent help for eye exposure, facial swelling, or breathing difficulty.

Ask how to distinguish treatment irritation from infection, when the wart should be reassessed, whether nearby skin needs protection, and what to do if several warts are present. Clarify whether you should pause treatment during significant inflammation and which alternative treatments could be considered.