Wart Removal — Stop Tying Threads and See a Dermatologist
Last Updated: March 2026
Clinical Data: Gomti Clinic has completed 3,800+ wart and mole removal procedures in Lucknow with 15+ years of dermatology experience. Pricing: ₹1,000–₹3,000/lesion. Radiofrequency cautery ensures complete removal with minimal scarring.
The thread your nani tied around your wart? It worked by cutting off blood supply. Science. Not magic. But there are better ways now.
Consult Dr. AnkitaWhat Warts Actually Are
Warts are benign skin growths caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). There are over 100 subtypes of HPV, and different types cause different warts in different locations. They're contagious — spread by direct contact or through contaminated surfaces (yes, shared razors, swimming pool floors, and salon equipment). They are NOT caused by touching frogs, dirty blood, or bad luck. The superstitions around warts in India are remarkably persistent and universally wrong.
Types of Warts We Treat
| Type | Location | Appearance | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common warts | Hands, fingers, knees | Raised, rough, flesh-colored | Cryotherapy / electrocautery |
| Flat warts | Face, forehead, shave areas | Tiny, smooth, flesh/brown | Topical retinoids / cryotherapy |
| Plantar warts | Soles of feet | Painful, inward-growing | Electrocautery / salicylic acid |
| Filiform warts | Face, neck, eyelids | Long, narrow projections | Snip excision / cryotherapy |
| Genital warts | Genital/perianal area | Soft, cauliflower-like | Electrocautery / immunotherapy |
Why Home Remedies Don't Work (Usually)
The apple cider vinegar, the crushed garlic, the thread tying, the banana peel — the internet is full of wart remedies. Some of them partially work (salicylic acid in corn caps is a legitimate treatment, after all). But they all share the same fundamental problem: they destroy the surface wart without addressing the virus in the surrounding skin cells.
This is why warts come back. You burn off the top. The virus regenerates from the base. Like trimming weeds without pulling the root — satisfying but temporary. Medical treatment aims to destroy the wart tissue AND trigger an immune response against the HPV virus so your body clears the infection systemically.
Our Treatment Approaches
Cryotherapy
Liquid nitrogen freezes the wart at -196°C. The extreme cold destroys infected cells and triggers an inflammatory immune response against HPV. Usually requires 2-4 sessions, 2-3 weeks apart. Mildly painful — a sharp stinging sensation lasting 30-60 seconds per freeze cycle.
Electrocautery
After local anesthesia, the wart is burned and scraped away with an electric cautery device. More definitive than cryotherapy for stubborn warts. One-session cure rate: 70-80%. Leaves a small wound that heals over 1-2 weeks.
Immunotherapy
For extensive or recurrent warts, we inject small amounts of MMR vaccine or tuberculin (PPD) INTO the wart. This doesn't treat the wart directly — it stimulates a powerful immune response that the body then directs against HPV. Remote warts (untreated ones on other body parts) often clear simultaneously. It's clever medicine — hijacking one immune response to fight a different infection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are warts related to genital HPV or cancer?
Common skin warts are caused by HPV types 1, 2, 3, 4 — different from the high-risk types (16, 18) that cause cervical cancer. Having common warts does NOT increase cancer risk. They're a nuisance, not a danger.
My child keeps getting warts. Is their immune system weak?
No — children get warts because their immune systems haven't encountered HPV before. Peak age is 12-16 years. Most childhood warts resolve spontaneously within 1-2 years as the immune system develops antibodies. Treatment is recommended if warts are spreading, painful, cosmetically concerning, or not resolving after 12+ months.