Warts
Warts, treated without the guesswork.
Warts are common, stubborn, and respond differently from person to person — there is no single treatment that works for everyone. Dr Claudia Moloabi assesses the type, site and extent of your warts to build a treatment plan suited to you, rather than defaulting to one approach.
Understanding warts
Why warts are so persistent.
Warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infecting the outermost layer of skin, triggering excess cell growth. There are more than 100 HPV subtypes, and different subtypes tend to favour different sites — hands, feet, face or genital skin — which is why warts can look and behave so differently depending on where they appear.
The immune system eventually clears most warts on its own, but this can take months to years, and some persist indefinitely without treatment. No single treatment works for every wart — response depends on the type, location, size, duration and your individual immune response.
Warts on the sole of the foot (verrucas) are frequently pushed inward by the pressure of walking, making them deeper and more resistant to treatment than warts elsewhere. Facial and genital warts need particularly careful handling to avoid scarring or spread.
Types of warts we treat
- Common warts (verruca vulgaris)
- Plantar warts / verrucas (soles of the feet)
- Flat warts (verruca plana)
- Filiform warts (facial and neck)
- Periungual warts (around the nails)
- Genital warts (referral pathway where indicated)
- Mosaic warts (clustered plantar warts)
What we treat
Warts, wherever they appear.
Location changes both the diagnosis and the safest, most effective way to treat it.
01
Common & flat warts
Typically on the hands, fingers or face. Treatment ranges from topical therapy to in-practice procedures, chosen for the site and your skin type.
02
Plantar warts (verrucas)
Deeper and more pressure-resistant than warts elsewhere. Often need a more sustained or combined treatment approach for full clearance.
03
Stubborn or recurrent warts
Warts that haven't responded to over-the-counter treatment benefit from specialist assessment and access to in-practice procedures not available without a prescription.
04
Warts in sensitive areas
Facial, periungual and genital warts need a treatment approach that minimises the risk of scarring, nail damage or discomfort.
Your treatment plan
Matched to your warts, not a generic protocol.
Wart treatment is rarely one-and-done — a realistic plan sets the right expectations from the start.
Confirm the diagnosis
Most warts are diagnosed clinically, though dermoscopy can help distinguish a wart from a corn, callus or other lesion when appearance is unclear.
Assess the type and extent
Number, size, site and duration all affect which treatments are appropriate and how many sessions are likely to be needed.
Choose a treatment approach
Options include topical keratolytics, cryotherapy, electrocautery, and other in-practice procedures — often combined for stubborn warts.
Treatment sessions
Many wart treatments work gradually and require repeat sessions a few weeks apart. You'll know upfront roughly what to expect for your specific warts.
Review for clearance
Follow-up confirms full clearance rather than partial improvement, since incompletely treated warts often return.
Wart questions
Warts, answered.
Have a question that isn't covered here? Contact the practice directly.
Will my wart go away on its own?
Many warts do eventually clear without treatment as the immune system brings the HPV infection under control, but this can take months to several years, and some never resolve untreated. Treatment can speed this up considerably and reduce the chance of spreading the wart to other areas or other people.
Why hasn't my over-the-counter wart treatment worked?
Over-the-counter treatments work for some warts but not others, and inconsistent use is a common reason for failure. Plantar warts in particular are often too deep for topical treatment alone. If you've used an over-the-counter product correctly for several weeks without improvement, specialist treatment with access to in-practice procedures is the next step.
Is wart treatment painful?
Discomfort varies by treatment and site. Cryotherapy causes brief stinging and some tenderness for a day or two afterward. Local anaesthetic can be used for more involved procedures. You'll be talked through what to expect before any treatment is performed.
Can warts spread to other parts of my body or to other people?
Yes — warts are caused by a contagious virus and can spread through direct contact or shared surfaces, including to new areas of your own skin through scratching or shaving. Prompt treatment reduces the window in which this can happen.