Treatment of Warts on the Face
Warts are small lesions in the top layer of the skin caused by strains of the human papillomavirus. The flesh- or pink-colored growths commonly appear on hands and feet but may also grow on your face. While warts often disappear over time, facial warts can spread and become embarrassing, bothersome and painful. Knowing what you can do to treat the warts will help prevent spread of the lesions to other areas of your body and ensure they do not reoccur.
Types
No single wart treatment is fully effective in treating warts in everyone, according to J.C. Sterling and colleagues in a January 2001 article in the “British Journal of Dermatology.” A number of treatment options exist and are often combined to treat facial warts 15.
Cryotherapy, a procedure that involves freezing a wart with liquid nitrogen to destroy the wart tissue, is commonly used. Alternatively, laser therapy or a retinoid cream or oral medication, which interferes with the growth of the wart, are also successful in treating facial warts. Additional options include surgically removing the wart, burning it off in a process known as electrosurgery, chemical treatments containing salicylic acid or cantharidin mixtures, or immunotherapy treatments. Immunotherapy treatments inject medication into the body to prompt an allergic reaction to reject the wart and prevent further growth.
- No single wart treatment is fully effective in treating warts in everyone, according to J.C. Sterling and colleagues in a January 2001 article in the “British Journal of Dermatology.” Alternatively, laser therapy or a retinoid cream or oral medication, which interferes with the growth of the wart, are also successful in treating facial warts.
Risks
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Each treatment has its own risks and when removing a wart from your face, consider the risk of scarring. Scarring is a concern if you choose to surgically remove the wart or use a laser to destroy it. According to Family Doctor, these treatments are normally a last line of treatment when other options have been unsuccessful 2. Other risks from treatment include burning, blistering and nerve damage.
- Each treatment has its own risks and when removing a wart from your face, consider the risk of scarring.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of facial wart treatments varies depending on the treatment option. In general, the average success rate of a wart treatment is 60 percent to 70 percent, according to the “British Journal of Dermatology.” For cryotherapy, about 70 percent of warts disappear after three to four months of treatment, while chemical treatments are equally effective, DermNet NZ says 35. Retinoids are 85 percent effective and removing or burning off of the wart is 65 percent to 85 percent successful.
Complications
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As fast as old warts disappear, another wart appears soon after, the Mayo Clinic cautions 4. Before treatment, the old wart infects the surrounding skin by releasing the virus into the area. As the original wart dies, another is already growing, allowing the wart to spread and making treatment difficult, the American Academy of Dermatology warns 5. Scarring from treatment can also cause keloids, an irregularly shaped growth that forms from scar tissue after your wart is removed, Medline Plus notes.
Warning
Never attempt to treat a facial wart without consulting your doctor. Many of the over-the-counter medications such as those containing salicylic acid contain ingredients that can damage the skin, Teens Health advises.
Related Articles
References
- “British Journal of Dermatology”; Guidelines for the management of cutaneous warts”; J.C. Sterling et al.; January 2001
- Family Doctor: Warts
- DermNet NZ: Viral Warts
- Mayo Clinic: Common Warts
- American Academy of Dermatology: Warts
- 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
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Julie Saccone is a senior communications specialist and former journalist who began writing in 2003. She works in the health-care industry distilling research findings and complex medical topics for media and trade publications. Saccone has been published in newspapers including the "National Post" and "StarPhoenix." She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Ryerson University and an honors Bachelor of Science.