Warts do not require urgent treatment in the office. If they are not painful or bothersome, they can be left alone and eventually (could be years) will resolve on their own. East Bay Pediatrics physicians recommend trying home treatment first. Then if desired, you can schedule an appointment at least two weeks later.
Home treatment, at bedtime:
- Soak the foot in warm water for 5-10 minutes to soften the overlying skin, dry the foot.
- Using a disposable emery board (the wart virus can stay on a pumice stone), try to remove the dead skin covering the wart.
- Apply liquid OTC Compound W or a piece of medicated wart tape (Dr. Scholls or Mediplast) and cover the wart. Do not use the freezing kind of medication. If using the tape, try to have it just cover the wart so that healthy tissue is not irritated by the tape.
- In the morning, wash off the tape and dry the foot.
- Repeat steps 1 to 4 each night and continue until the wart resolves and the skin peels off.
- After two weeks, if the wart is not beginning to resolve, an appointment can be made for possible treatment with liquid nitrogen. This entire cycle may need to be repeated a few times.