Flat Wart Removal: Causes, Treatment & Professional Advice

Flat warts are harmless skin growths that have a flat appearance and are usually found on the forehead and face. Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus and may be removed by a doctor.

Warning

• According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, patients with flat warts and other warts on the face should not remove the warts with over-the-counter medications. Flat warts should be removed by a doctor.

Freezing

• A doctor may use cryotherapy or remove a wart by freezing it.

Burning

• Physicians may use electrocautery to burn a wart off of a patient̵7;s skin.

Laser

• Medical doctors may use laser treatment to remove a wart from a person̵7;s skin.

Other Treatments

• Physicians may prescribe a medication such as salicylic acid or podophyllin to remove unusually persistent warts or they may have patients use a topical medication such as imiquimod.

Complications

• Warts that disappear on their own may reappear later or warts may spread to other parts of the body. A scar or keloid may develop on a patient̵7;s skin after a wart has been removed.