Most warts clear on their own within months to 2 years - to hurry them, daily salicylic acid from the pharmacy for up to 12 weeks, or clinic freezing, are the proven routes.
Salicylic works by layers: soak 5 minutes, file the dead surface with a disposable board, apply daily. Cryotherapy is faster but blisters, and usually needs repeat sessions. The rules: never cut or pick a wart (that spreads the virus), cover it, share no towels, and wear flip-flops in communal showers for verrucas. See a doctor for face or genital warts (genital always needs a clinician), diabetes or poor circulation, bleeding or changing growths, or immune suppression. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you confirm it is a wart.
What to do
Common questions
How do you get rid of warts?
Most warts eventually leave on their own - the immune system clears them within months to a couple of years - but that is slow, so most people treat. The pharmacy mainstay is salicylic acid: soak the wart in warm water for 5 minutes, file the dead surface gently with a disposable emery board (never reuse it, never share it), apply the acid daily, and repeat - it peels the wart away layer by layer over up to 12 weeks. A clinician can freeze it (cryotherapy), usually needing a few sessions; that is faster but blisters and stings. Rules that matter: never cut, pick, or shave a wart yourself - that spreads the virus; cover it, because warts spread by touch; do not share towels; and wear flip-flops in communal showers for verrucas. Skip home treatment and see a doctor for warts on the face or genitals, if you have diabetes or poor circulation, if the growth bleeds or changes, or if you are immunosuppressed - genital warts always need a clinician. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you confirm it is actually a wart.