Over-the-counter wart treatments can be effective for simple common warts with consistent use, but they have significant limitations - particularly for plantar warts, periungual warts, molluscum contagiosum, and lesions that have become resistant to home therapy.
Professional treatment at Skindepth offers several advantages:
Our clinical team employs a range of treatment modalities, often in combination, to achieve the best outcome for each patient. The most appropriate approach is determined by your dermatologist based on the type, location, number, and treatment history of your lesions.
Cantharidin (beetle juice)
Cantharidin is one of our most commonly used first-line treatments for both warts and molluscum. Derived from the shells of blister beetles, cantharidin is applied directly to the lesion in clinic. It causes a blister to form beneath the treated area within 24–48 hours, lifting the wart away from its blood supply and allowing it to be removed as the blister dries and falls away over the following week.
Cantharidin application is not painful during the appointment — there are no pain receptors in warty tissue. The area may become tender 24–48 hours later as the blister forms. This discomfort is generally well managed without supplementary pain relief.
Curettage combined with cantharidin
For more established warts, curettage (physical removal of the superficial warty tissue) combined with cantharidin application provides a particularly effective combined approach. The curettage disrupts the wart's surface and allows the cantharidin to penetrate more effectively.
Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy freezes the wart tissue, destroying the virus-containing cells. The treated area blisters and eventually falls away. Cryotherapy is effective for many wart types but can be uncomfortable — the sensation of intense cold is brief but noticeable. Multiple sessions are typically required.
DCP (diphenylcyclopropenone)
DCP is a topical immunotherapy used for treatment-resistant warts. Applied in clinic and continued at home with a prescription preparation, DCP works by stimulating a local immune response to the HPV virus, training the immune system to recognise and destroy wart tissue. It is particularly effective for extensive or long-standing warts that have failed other treatments.
Salicylic acid
High-concentration salicylic acid preparations applied in clinic and prescribed for home use work by gradually breaking down wart tissue. Often used in combination with other treatments to maintain progress between clinic appointments.
Vascular laser (Vbeam)
Vbeam pulsed dye laser targets the blood vessels supplying the wart, cutting off its blood supply and destroying the lesion from within. Particularly effective for warts that have been resistant to topical treatments. Vbeam treatment is more uncomfortable than topical therapies, however our clinical team uses techniques to minimise discomfort during the procedure.
Electrosurgery
Electrosurgery uses an electrical current to destroy wart tissue. Used selectively for appropriate lesion types and locations.
Take-home prescription topicals
Between clinic appointments, your dermatologist may prescribe topical treatments for home use to maintain progress. These may include prescription-strength salicylic acid, imiquimod, DCP preparations, and others depending on your treatment plan.
Cantharidin is the most commonly used treatment for molluscum at Skindepth. It is well tolerated in children and adults and typically achieves clearance within a structured course of fortnightly appointments.
Where molluscum is occurring alongside eczema — a common combination — your dermatologist will prescribe concurrent treatment for both conditions. Managing the eczema is an important part of molluscum treatment because an impaired skin barrier makes lesions more persistent and difficult to clear.
A GP referral is recommended and required for a Medicare rebate on your dermatologist consultation. Please contact the clinic if you are unsure whether you need a referral before booking.
Yes — cantharidin has a well-established safety profile and has been used in dermatology for decades. It is applied carefully and precisely to each lesion, avoiding surrounding healthy skin. Your dermatologist and clinical nurse will explain the aftercare process and what to expect before you leave the clinic.
Warts can recur after treatment if the underlying viral infection in surrounding skin has not been fully eradicated. This is why completing the full structured treatment course recommended by your dermatologist is important — even after lesions appear to have cleared. Your dermatologist will confirm complete clearance at your final review appointment.
The number of appointments varies depending on the type, location, extent, and duration of your warts or molluscum, as well as individual factors including your immune system's response to treatment. Most patients require between two and ten fortnightly appointments to achieve complete clearance. Your dermatologist will give you a more personalised estimate at your first visit.
Most treatments at our wart clinic are well tolerated. Cantharidin application and curettage are not painful during the appointment. Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen can be uncomfortable but the sensation is brief. Vbeam laser treatment is more uncomfortable, however our clinicians use techniques to minimise discomfort during the procedure. For children, we take particular care to explain the process beforehand and work at a pace that keeps them comfortable.
Medicare rebates apply to dermatologist consultations with a current GP referral. A gap fee applies. Please contact the clinic for current fee information regarding treatment appointments.