Wart Treatment and Removal... Should I Remove Them Myself?

There are a number of ways to treat and remove warts from simple home methods, over-the-counter methods, natural remedies, to medical procedures. Home methods are the cheapest way to treat or remove a wart, while over-the-counter and natural remedies can get pricey depending on the type of treatment you choose. However, while home methods, over-the-counter, and natural remedies are cheaper then a medical procedure for the treatment and removing warts the probability of total removal is only 60% to 70% effective.

Home methods of wart treatment and removal include the infamous "tape" method, where you place a piece of adhesive tape over the wart for a long period of time (i.e. a week or more) then remove the tape, allow the wart to air out, then cover it again, repeating this process until the wart disappears. The ideology behind this method is that the tape does not allow the wart to grow or spread. The most common over-the-counter wart treatment and removal method involves Salicylic Acid, which can come in either a liquid or a paste that you apply to the wart; if you choose to use this method be sure to follow the directions carefully, as the Salicylic Acid can actually damage your healthy skin should it come in contact. Natural remedies mainly are oils that are derived from plant extracts that have antiseptic properties, these include tea tree oil, milkweed oil, and dandelion oil, it is recommended that you speak to a doctor or someone licensed in homeopathy before beginning a natural remedy.

If you want a more effective wart treatment or removal method then a medical procedure may be more what you are looking for; since warts are caused by a virus medical procedures are more capable of ridding the body of the virus then any do-it-yourself method.

Non-invasive medical wart removal treatment options available are: Cryotherapy which is a favorable option for older children and adults, this process involves freezing the wart. The wart is subjected to liquid nitrogen which causes the dissolution of the cells, exposing the infection causing the wart to the body's immune system, allowing the body to attack the infection resulting in the end of the wart. Electrocautery is where the doctor use heat to destroy the infected cells of the wart. Lasers may also be used to treat or remove warts, depending on the laser treatment either the blood vessels supplying the wart or the actual tissue that makes up the wart is targeted and destroyed. There are also topical prescription wart treatment and removal methods available, some of which must be administered by a dermatologist.

There are a few invasive medical wart treatment and removal options, mainly these are either anti-cancer drugs, chemicals that are naturally produced in the body, or chemicals the person is allergic to that are injected into the wart. The injections help to stimulate the immune system by creating a reaction to the wart, the body then rushes to kill the virus causing the wart. These removal treatments can sometimes be painful and have adverse side effects.