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Suggest Treatment For Warts

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Posted on Fri, 17 Jul 2015
Question: Wart.
How do I get rid of a 46 year old wart?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Home treatments and treatments your doctor may provide.

Detailed Answer:
That is a pretty old wart! Often warts resolve on the their own but some reoccur and some don't go away as it sounds like happened to you.

Providing you are sure it is a wart and not something else, including a callus, and also providing you don't have diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, you can try to treat it at home with either salicylic acid or duct tape.

The thing about treating warts at home is that it can take longer. Also, if there is a very deep callus over the wart as happens with plantar warts, sometimes treatment is more effective if a dr. pares down the overlying dead tissue first.

The number one recommended self-treatment is salicylic acid - but it can take 2-3 months to work. Before applying salicylic acid, soak the wart in water to soften the skin. This helps the medicine penetrate the skin more easily. Apply salicylic acid to the wart before bed and cover the area with a bandage or sock. (This is to keep the salicylic acid from getting on other skin.) Wash it off in the morning. The goal with salicylic acid is to make the wart soft so that it can be rubbed off. Twice a week or more, rub the dead tissue off with a pumice or emery.
If this process causes the area to become too tender, stop using the salicylic acid for 2 to 3 days.

For the duct tape method, cut a piece of duct tape to the size of the wart (approximately) and leave on for 6 dys. Replace it if it falls off. On the 7th day, remove and soak the area. Rub the wart surface with a pumice or emery. Let it air out overnight and repeat until the wart is gone. You can do this for up to 2 months.

With either treatment, please note that the sloughed off dead tissue contains living wart virus, so dispose of the dead skin carefully. The pumice or emery file will also have the virus on it so don't use these for anything else or you may spread the virus around.

For quicker treatment you may want to see your doctor. He or she may try freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen, or try various medications for it.

I hope this information helps you.




Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (10 days later)
Ah! There you are !!!
Me? A pretty ol' wart!!!
Gee !!!
I am actually 64.
Oh the embarrassment of being told at the camp dock that I had an ugly toe!!!
Such is life... More important things like wrinkles and gravity related matters these days !!!
Thanks Bonnie!!! Just taking advantage of first-world techie-stuff!!!
Your words were quite thoughtful considering the mundane topic!!!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Best regards -

Detailed Answer:
Glad to help.

Wishing you well!

If you have no further questions on this topic, you can go ahead and close this discussion (and rate it).
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1991

Answered : 3133 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Warts

Brief Answer: Home treatments and treatments your doctor may provide. Detailed Answer: That is a pretty old wart! Often warts resolve on the their own but some reoccur and some don't go away as it sounds like happened to you. Providing you are sure it is a wart and not something else, including a callus, and also providing you don't have diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, you can try to treat it at home with either salicylic acid or duct tape. The thing about treating warts at home is that it can take longer. Also, if there is a very deep callus over the wart as happens with plantar warts, sometimes treatment is more effective if a dr. pares down the overlying dead tissue first. The number one recommended self-treatment is salicylic acid - but it can take 2-3 months to work. Before applying salicylic acid, soak the wart in water to soften the skin. This helps the medicine penetrate the skin more easily. Apply salicylic acid to the wart before bed and cover the area with a bandage or sock. (This is to keep the salicylic acid from getting on other skin.) Wash it off in the morning. The goal with salicylic acid is to make the wart soft so that it can be rubbed off. Twice a week or more, rub the dead tissue off with a pumice or emery. If this process causes the area to become too tender, stop using the salicylic acid for 2 to 3 days. For the duct tape method, cut a piece of duct tape to the size of the wart (approximately) and leave on for 6 dys. Replace it if it falls off. On the 7th day, remove and soak the area. Rub the wart surface with a pumice or emery. Let it air out overnight and repeat until the wart is gone. You can do this for up to 2 months. With either treatment, please note that the sloughed off dead tissue contains living wart virus, so dispose of the dead skin carefully. The pumice or emery file will also have the virus on it so don't use these for anything else or you may spread the virus around. For quicker treatment you may want to see your doctor. He or she may try freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen, or try various medications for it. I hope this information helps you.