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How to Remove the Dead Tissue of a Wart
Treating a wart on the hands, fingers or soles of the feet usually involves killing the wart tissue. This may be done at home by applying over-the-counter (OTC) wart treatments. The tissue must be removed periodically as it dies off between chemical applications; eventually, the entire wart will be gone. The process is safe, but the tissue must be removed carefully to avoid damaging the surrounding skin or spreading the wart.
Soak the wart before starting the dead tissue removal process. Submerge your hand or foot in warm water and let it soak for 10 to 20 minutes to soften the tissue. This will make it easier to remove.
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Rub off the dead tissue with an emery board or pumice stone. Do this gently or you may go too deep and damage the surrounding healthy issue. You should not feel any pain if you are doing it correctly because the dead tissue does not have any feeling.
Clean the area around the wart with mild soap and water and dry it thoroughly. Moisture encourages wart growth so drying the area completely will help prevent the wart from spreading.
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Reapply the OTC medication you are using to kill the wart tissue. The Mayo Clinic recommends doing this once or twice a day 1. Repeat the process until the entire wart is gone, which may take several weeks when using a typical salicylic acid product.
Tips
You can use duct tape to kill the wart tissue if you don't want to use an acidic medication. Various studies, including one published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, have shown this treatment is effective. Leave the duct tape in place over the wart for six days straight. Replace it if it falls off. Remove it after six days and use the emery board or pumice stone to rub off the dead tissue again. Continue this six-day cycle of covering the wart and removing the dead tissue until it has completely disappeared.
Warnings
Never reuse a pumice stone or emery board that was used to scrape away dead wart tissue. Reusing them can spread warts and cause new ones to grow in the area where you use the stone or board. Throw it away when the wart is gone so you won't accidentally use it for something else.
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References
- Mayo Clinic: Plantar Warts--Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine: Efficacy of Duct Tape vs Placebo in the Treatment of Verruca Vulgaris (Warts) in Primary School Children
- InformedHealth.org. Warts: Overview. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). Updated November 7, 2019.
- InformedHealth.org. What are the treatment options for warts? Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). Updated November 7, 2019.
- Al Aboud AM, Nigam PK. Wart (Plantar, Verruca Vulgaris, Verrucae). Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing. Updated September 27, 2019.
- Liu J, Li H, Yang F, et al. Epidemiology and Clinical Profile of Cutaneous Warts in Chinese College Students: A Cross-Sectional and Follow-Up Study. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):15450. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-33511-x
- Goldman RD. Duct tape for warts in children: Should nature take its course?. Can Fam Physician. 2019;65(5):337-338.
- Cockayne S, Hewitt C, Hicks K, et al. Cryotherapy versus salicylic acid for the treatment of plantar warts (verrucae): a randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2011;342:d3271. doi:10.1136/bmj.d3271
- Baker DA, Ferris DG, Martens MG, et al. Imiquimod 3.75% cream applied daily to treat anogenital warts: combined results from women in two randomized, placebo-controlled studies. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2011;2011:806105. doi:10.1155/2011/806105
- Gaston A, Garry RF. Topical vitamin A treatment of recalcitrant common warts. Virol J. 2012;9:21. doi:10.1186/1743-422X-9-21
- Walczuk I, Eertmans F, Rossel B, et al. Efficacy and safety of three cryotherapy devices for wart treatment: A randomized, controlled, investigator-blinded, comparative study. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2018;8(2):203-16. doi:10.1007/s13555-017-0210-5
- Dalimunthe DA, Siregar R, Tanjung C. Comparative clinical efficacy between electrodesiccation with curettage and application of 80% phenol solution in treatment of common warts. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2018;6(2):326-9. doi:10.3889/oamjms.2018.074
- Chauhan PS, Mahajan VK, Mehta KS, Rawat R, Sharma V. The efficacy and safety of intralesional immunotherapy with measles, mumps, rubella virus vaccine for the treatment of common warts in adults. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2019;10(1):19-26. doi:10.4103/idoj.IDOJ_142_18
- Nofal A, Elkot R, Nofal E, Mazen M. Combination therapy versus monotherapy in the treatment of recalcitrant warts: A clinical and immunological study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2018;2018;12848. doi:10.1111/jocd.12848
- Raghukumar S, Ravikumar BC, Vinay KN, et al. Intralesional vitamin D injection in the treatment of recalcitrant warts: A novel proposition. J Cutan Med Surg. 2017;21(4):320-4. doi:10.1177/1203475417704180
Tips
- You can use duct tape to kill the wart tissue if you don't want to use an acidic medication. Various studies, including one published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, have shown this treatment is effective. Leave the duct tape in place over the wart for six days straight. Replace it if it falls off. Remove it after six days and use the emery board or pumice stone to rub off the dead tissue again. Continue this six-day cycle of covering the wart and removing the dead tissue until it has completely disappeared.
Warnings
- Never reuse a pumice stone or emery board that was used to scrape away dead wart tissue. Reusing them can spread warts and cause new ones to grow in the area where you use the stone or board. Throw it away when the wart is gone so you won't accidentally use it for something else.
Writer Bio
Based in Kissimmee, Fla., Barb Nefer is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience. She is a mental health counselor, finance coach and travel agency owner. Her work has appeared in such magazines as "The Writer" and "Grit" and she authored the book, "So You Want to Be a Counselor."