Wart Removal in Tampa, FL

Close-up of woman's manicured hands

A wart is a small, fleshly bump on the surface of the skin. Warts develop when the human papillomavirus (HPV) enters the body through a scrape, scratch, or cut. The resulting infection causes cells on the outer layer of the skin to rapidly grow and divide. The excess cells then build up, bind together, and form a wart, which may be flat and smooth or bumpy and rough-textured. Warts most often develop on the hands (common warts) or feet (plantar warts), although they can form anywhere on the body.

Do I Need to Get My Wart Removed?

Some warts go away on their own, but others can linger for several months or even years. Usually, these harmless skin growths are painless, but they can sometimes cause discomfort, especially if they grow on the bottom of a foot. Additionally, it is possible to infect other parts of the body by touching a wart and then touching another area of skin. For these reasons, it is a good idea to consider wart removal soon after a wart appears. South Tampa Immediate Care offers wart removal*—and a full range of other non-emergency healthcare services—at our walk-in urgent care clinic in Tampa, Florida.

What Is the Wart Removal Treatment Process?

A provider at South Tampa Immediate Care may suggest an over-the-counter wart removal medication, such as a salicylic acid product or propane freezing solution. If this type of treatment is appropriate for you, you should closely follow the directions on the label and keep in mind that complete wart removal can take some time.

To remove a wart that persists or causes discomfort, a doctor at South Tampa Immediate Care can perform a simple, in-office procedure known as cryotherapy. This fast wart removal technique involves the application of liquid nitrogen to freeze the skin in the affected area. After the skin is frozen, a blister will form underneath the wart. As the blister heals and new skin forms, the skin on top of the scab (including the wart) will peel away. Typically, this occurs within one to three weeks after cryotherapy is performed.

Is Wart Removal Painful?

During cryotherapy for wart removal, the skin in the treatment area may slightly sting, burn, or itch, and it will likely be a bit sore, red, and swollen afterward. The removal of some skin lesions may leave a small area of pale discoloration; however, true scarring that involves deep layers of skin is unlikely.

Does My Insurance Cover Wart Removal?

Health insurance plans do not cover wart removal treatment at an urgent care center. At South Tampa Immediate Care, we offer wart removal as a self-pay service, and we have a reasonable and transparent rate schedule for our self-paying patients.

You can visit South Tampa Immediate Care at 602 S. Howard Ave. in Tampa, FL, if you would like to have a wart evaluated and find out the best course of treatment. When appropriate, we perform walk-in wart removal using cryotherapy in our South Tampa office. While we never require appointments, we have an optional online check-in system for the convenience of our patients.

*Please note that South Tampa Immediate Care does not treat genital warts.