Will A Wart Go Away On Its Own?

Photo by Sammy Williams on Unsplash

What are warts?

Warts are typically harmless skin growths that develop mostly due to HPV (human papillomavirus). There are almost 150 strains of HPV that exist and out of those 150 strains, around 10 of them cause skin warts, also referred to as cutaneous warts. They may also occur due to the friction and pressure caused on a certain body part such as your feet. The warts on feet are also referred to as Plantar Warts.

Do warts ever go away on their own?

Since a wart doesn't develop overnight, the chances of it going away on its own vary depending upon how long did the wart take to develop in the first place. In a lot of the cases warts take even up to 6 months to show up after the person has been in contact with the virus. Sure the wart might disappear on its own over time but it could take just as long for it to go away as it took for it to occur.

What can I do get rid of warts faster?

Although several studies show that most warts go away on their own within a year or two, but not everyone would want to have wishful thinking and keep on waiting until the warts disappear. Most experts also recommend that the wart should be removed immediately because it can easily spread into the nearby tissue and cause even a cluster of warts.

Since warts are contagious, they can even spread to others by direct or indirect contact. It is better if you don't wait on them to go away on their own. Especially nowadays there are a lot of options available to get rid of warts easily and effectively:

1. Professional wart removal - If you happen to have really painful warts or the ones that are bleeding, it is best to see your dermatologist and get them removed through freezing, zapping or cutting etc. Some type of skin cancers may also look like warts at first, which is why it is best to get the wart properly diagnosed first. But if you have a wart that stays the same in color, shape and size, you probably don't need to see the dermatologist.
2. Apple cider vinegar - Being an acetic acid, ACV is capable of killing certain types of viruses and bacteria upon contact. It can help destroy the wart by burning and gradually destroying the infected skin.
3. Duct tape - This is one of the low risk approach that won't hurt to give it a try. Although this method is extremely slow and can take up to 2 months until you're able to file off the wart completely but it is still used by many.
4. Wart removal device - One of the many effective technologies available today, a wart removal device can help you perform the same procedure as dermatologist right from the privacy of your home. It uses same method of cauterization which is used by dermatologists. If you want to remove a wart for cosmetic reasons only, this might be another affordable and convenient option. Click here to check it out.
5. Salicylic acid - An extremely affordable option which has minimal side effects and is known to be the only topical treatment that outperforms a placebo.