Although they’re relatively harmless, warts tend to cause discomfort when they occur in certain areas (particularly on the bottom of the feet). Understandably, most people want to have them removed.
Warts don’t disappear immediately after treatment, however— they fall off in stages as the damaged skin is slowly killed off. The process can take up to 12 weeks, depending on the treatment method, and it’s not uncommon for the site to appear worse before it starts to look better.
Knowing the stages of a wart falling off and how they commonly present may help determine whether your wart treatment was successful.
The highly qualified team at Capital Podiatry has been helping Canberrans successfully remove warts for 20 years. We are committed to improving our patients’ quality of life and helping them get back to all the things they enjoy by getting to the root cause of their problem (rather than just providing short-term relief).
Wart Treatment Options
Around two-thirds of warts will resolve on their own over a 12 to 24-month span. However, this is not always the case, and some people prefer to remove them more quickly.
These days, there are several treatment options for removing warts, some of which include:
- Salicylic acid, which is an over-the-counter treatment that is applied to the wart topically. If successful, it will take around 12 weeks to remove the wart.
- Electrosurgery and curettage, which uses heat to burn away the base of the wart. While this is generally a one-off treatment, the resulting wound may take several weeks to heal, it may lead to permanent scarring, and warts may reoccur.
- Cryotherapy, which involves using liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart, causing the skin’s surface layers to peel off. If successful, it will take three to four months of treatment (with sessions every one to two weeks) to remove the wart and prevent it from growing back.
- Microwave therapy, which sends a microwave signal into the root of the wart to trigger heat shock and encourage the immune system to fight the virus that caused the wart. It generally takes three monthly treatments and has a very high success rate.
Wart Removal Stages
The process of a wart falling off will differ depending on the treatment method used.
Leave the Wart Alone
- Often, the first symptom that a wart is dying is a white or grey area on its surface. As it dies, the wart will shrink, turn black or brown, and start peeling or flaking off.
- The wart will continue to shrink in size, which is a sign that the immune system is fighting the virus off. The growths will look more like a raised bump, rough and dry to the touch.
- Next, the wart will fall off, leaving behind a small, scab-like mark. Do not pick the scab! This will likely delay the healing process and may even cause scarring.
- Finally, your skin may be red and sensitive for a few days— this is an indicator that your body is healing. Keep the affected area clean and dry, and avoid using harsh chemicals.
Salicylic Acid
- After each treatment (be sure to follow the product’s instructions), you should notice the wart tissue softening so that it can be easily rubbed or filed away.
- Continue with treatments until the wart has peeled off just below the surface of the surrounding skin.
- Stop treatments once the base of the wart appears the same as normal skin (with no signs of black dots or graininess).
Cryotherapy
- After treatment, it is common for the skin to feel sore for the next couple of days. A blister (which may be blood-filled) or scab will typically form on the affected area.
- The blister or scab usually falls off in two to three weeks, but this may occur faster. Never try to remove the blister or scab yourself, as this may increase the chance of scarring or infection.
- Your podiatrist may instruct you to apply a topical salve, like petroleum jelly, for a few weeks after treatment. This may aid in healing and prevent the wound from crusting.
Microwave Therapy
- During treatment, the heat shock experienced by the wart causes it to release proteins that signal to your body’s immune system the presence of a virus that it needs to fight.
- A week to a month after treatment you may notice that the wart is starting to disappear (from the base rather than the surface). Small black dots are common, but a small blister may also occur.
Kick Warts to the Curb with Capital Podiatry
If you have left your wart alone but it’s still not going away, you have attempted an over-the-counter treatment but it failed, or your wart is causing discomfort and you want it removed quickly, contact a healthcare professional for further advice. When warts occur on the feet or lower legs, seeking help from a podiatrist is the best place to start.
At Capital Podiatry, we specialise in world-leading Swift Microwave Therapy for wart removal. Not only is the treatment relatively pain-free, but there is very little aftercare required and you may begin to see results quickly. If you would like to have your foot or lower leg warts assessed by a qualified podiatrist, come in to see us today.
