A hand wart is a common type of wart that is located on the hand. While many people claim that duct tape or vinegar can remove warts, stronger wart-removal products may be required. Over-the-counter products, including liquid wart remover and medicated wart pads, typically contain chemicals that can dissolve warts. Removing stubborn hand warts may require the help of a medical professional. A dermatologist may use stronger chemicals, liquid nitrogen, or even surgery to remove very stubborn hand warts.
Warts are abnormal skin growths caused by a virus known as the human papilloma virus. Although warts can appear anywhere on the body, they mostly appear on the feet and hands. Hand warts generally appear as small, flesh-colored bumps on the skin. The surfaces of these bumps may be dull and rough, or shiny and smooth. Since many warts are contagious and unattractive, most people remove them.
Natural wart removal methods are usually attempted first. One of the most popular natural wart remedy involves placing duct tape over a wart for several days before removing it. The top of the wart should then be carefully scraped off, and a new piece of tape is reapplied over the wart. This process is usually repeated for several weeks or months until the hand wart disappears.
Several other home wart remedies can also be used to get rid of hand warts. Vinegar or lemon juice, for instance, can be applied to the area and allowed to dry. Taping the white side of a banana peel over warts can also cause them to disappear.
When home wart remedies do not work, over-the-counter wart remedies may be useful. These typically come in the form of topical liquids or medicated pads. The liquids are simply brushed onto a wart several times, while medicated wart pads are placed over a wart. Ingredients in these products help dissolve warts and their roots.
Hand warts can also be removed by a medical professional, such as a dermatologist. Generally, a doctor will prescribe a topical acid that will dissolve the warts. This is similar to over-the-counter wart treatments, but it is usually much stronger. More aggressive wart treatment may be necessary in order to remove very stubborn hand warts.
Cryotherapy is one of the most common methods that dermatologists use for removing very stubborn warts. This involves spraying warts with liquid nitrogen, which is an extremely cold substance. The freezing temperatures of the liquid nitrogen kill the abnormal cells of the warts and sometimes the virus that causes them. In a few rare cases, a doctor may also recommend traditional surgery or laser surgery for removing hand warts.