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If you are patient, there is a good chance that your (nongenital) wart will go away with no treatment.  In fact, 48% of warts resolve in 12 weeks.

If you are NOT that patient, then two other suggestions are topical salicylic acid, cryotherapy (freezing therapy) or topical fluorouracil.   Topical fluorouracil is a distant third suggestion as it is 15 times more expensive than salicylic acid and can produce pain and blisters.

The combination of salicylic acid and cryotherapy is thought to be better than either treatment alone.  The physician can confirm the lesion is a wart and discuss treatment options with you.  I prefer to pare the wart down with a scalpel (don’t worry, you won’t feel it), then two freeze (then thaw) cycles.  This helps make the wart more susceptible to daily treatment with salicylic acid, which you can place on the wart at home.

The effectiveness of duct tape on clearing warts is now unclear.  Two similar studies had differing results: one helped, one found no difference.  And, studies have also found insufficient evidence to support bleomycin or interferon for wart treatment.

It may take weeks to months to get rid of warts.  But, be patient.

Doctors can help. . . and you can help, too.