Over-the-counter salicylic acid is a commonly used medication to treat your warts. The salicylic acid is slowly and painlessly absorbed into the skin causing peeling of the skin cells that contain the wart virus. This is a very good way of getting rid of warts, but it should never be used to treat warts on the face, neck and genitals. Even if another treatment is being used (for example in office freezing or beetle juice), using salicylic acid at home speeds destruction of the wart by thinning it and any callus that has formed on or around it.

Salicylic acid preparations can be found in most drugstores and some supermarkets. There are typically two kinds of products: adhesive pads that are treated with salicylic acid or bottles of concentrated salicylic acid.

Products available typically include:

• 17% Salicylic Acid Topical Liquid (Compound W or Dr. Scholl’s*)

• 40% Salicylic Acid Topical Liquid (Plantar Wart Remover*)

• 40% Salicylic Acid pads (Corn Removal Pads*)

*Any store brand product with the recommended percent salicylic acid will work