Free telehealth consult, then in-clinic treatment · East Melbourne
$199with an $87 Medicare rebate · East Melbourne in-clinic
Wart treatment by a Specialist GP, starting with a free telehealth consult. The GP talks through your wart by phone, then books your in-clinic wart freezing (cryotherapy) at our East Melbourne rooms — including stubborn plantar warts — 7 days a week by appointment.
All ages welcome — adults and children. Suite 6c, Level 5, 182–184 Victoria Parade.
Book a free telehealth consult — free with Medicare
A Specialist GP talks through your wart and treatment plan over the phone
Your in-clinic wart freezing is booked during the consult — 7 days a week by appointment
Warts are small, rough growths on the skin caused by a common virus. They’re harmless, very common, and although they can be stubborn and annoying, they’re not dangerous. Warts most often appear on the hands and feet, but can occur almost anywhere on the skin. Many eventually clear on their own, but treatment can speed things up, ease discomfort, and stop them spreading.
The good news is that warts are straightforward to treat. The most common in-clinic treatment is wart freezing, also known as cryotherapy, and there are effective options for warts that are painful, spreading, or simply not going away by themselves.
What warts look like
Knowing what warts look like helps you tell them apart from other skin bumps. Typical features include:
A firm, raised, rough growth with a grainy or cauliflower-like surface.
Skin-coloured, grey, or brownish, sometimes slightly darker than surrounding skin.
Tiny black dots within the wart — these are small clotted blood vessels, and are a classic sign of a wart.
Well-defined edges, often round or irregular.
Single or clustered — you may have one, or several grouped together.
Warts on the hands and fingers (common warts) tend to be raised and rough. Warts on the soles of the feet (plantar warts) are often flatter, pushed inward by the pressure of walking, and surrounded by hard skin. If you’re not sure whether a growth is a wart, it’s worth having it checked — occasionally other skin lesions can look similar.
Types of Warts, and Plantar Warts
There are a few common types of wart, named mostly by where they appear:
Common warts — usually on the hands, fingers and around the nails; raised, rough and dome-shaped.
Plantar warts (verrucas) — on the soles of the feet; often flat and inward-growing, and can be painful.
Flat warts — smaller, smoother and flatter, often appearing in groups, sometimes on the face or legs.
Mosaic warts — clusters of small warts grouped closely together, often on the feet.
Genital warts are a different matter. They’re caused by different types of the same virus family, are sexually transmitted, and are assessed and treated through sexual health care rather than as a skin-wart treatment. This page is about common skin warts and plantar warts — if you’re concerned about genital warts, they’re managed separately.
Plantar warts (verrucas)
Plantar warts deserve their own mention because they behave differently from warts elsewhere. Growing on the soles of the feet, they’re pressed inward by your body weight, so instead of sticking out they tend to grow into the skin, surrounded by a ring of hardened skin or callus. This makes them prone to being painful when you stand or walk — like having a small stone in your shoe.
Plantar warts often have the classic tiny black dots at their centre, and pressing them from the side (rather than straight down) is typically more tender than pressing surrounding skin. Because they can be painful and stubborn, plantar wart treatment is one of the most common reasons people seek help for warts. Wart freezing and topical treatments are both used, sometimes over several sessions, as plantar warts can be more resistant than warts elsewhere.
What Causes Warts, and Are They Contagious?
Warts are caused by a common virus (the human papillomavirus, or HPV — the everyday skin types, not the sexually transmitted types). The virus enters through tiny breaks in the skin and causes the skin to grow into a wart. Warts are mildly contagious — they can spread:
From one part of your body to another (by scratching, picking or shaving over them).
To other people through direct contact.
Via shared surfaces, especially damp ones like pool decks, communal showers and changing rooms — which is why plantar warts are often picked up at pools and gyms.
Getting a wart doesn’t mean poor hygiene — the virus is extremely common, and most people encounter it. Some people are simply more prone to warts than others.
Wart Freezing (Cryotherapy) and Other Treatments
Wart freezing — cryotherapy — is the most common in-clinic wart treatment, and often the first choice for warts that need treating. It works by applying an extremely cold substance (liquid nitrogen) to the wart, which freezes and destroys the affected tissue. Over the following days the treated wart blisters and eventually falls away, allowing healthy skin to grow back. A few things to know:
It’s quick — each treatment takes only a minute or two per wart.
It stings briefly — there’s a sharp cold or burning sensation during and shortly after treatment, which settles.
It usually needs more than one session — warts often require several freezing treatments a few weeks apart, particularly stubborn plantar warts.
Aftercare is simple — a blister may form; keep the area clean and don’t pick at it.
Cryotherapy is effective for most common and plantar warts, and a clinician will advise how many sessions are likely to be needed for your particular wart.
Other wart treatments
Freezing isn’t the only option. Depending on the wart, its location and how it’s responded, treatments include:
Over-the-counter topical wart treatments — applied regularly over weeks to gradually break down the wart. Often used for plantar warts and can be combined with freezing.
Combination approaches — freezing plus a topical treatment for stubborn warts.
Other procedures — for warts that resist standard treatment, a clinician may discuss or refer for further options.
Watchful waiting — simply leaving a wart alone, since many clear by themselves in time.
The best choice depends on where the wart is, how many you have, whether it’s painful, and your preference. Persistent or painful warts are worth having treated properly rather than battling indefinitely with home remedies.
Do warts go away on their own?
Often, yes — many warts clear by themselves as the immune system gradually deals with the virus. The catch is that this can take a long time: months, and sometimes a couple of years. So while watchful waiting is reasonable for a wart that isn’t bothering you, treatment is worthwhile if a wart is painful, spreading, in an awkward spot, or simply something you’d rather not wait years to be rid of.
Warts in children
Warts are especially common in children, who often pick them up at school, at swimming pools and through everyday play. In children they’re harmless and very frequently clear on their own as the immune system deals with the virus, so watchful waiting is often the kindest approach — there’s no need to rush a child into treatment for a wart that isn’t causing any trouble. When a wart is painful (particularly a plantar wart on the foot), spreading, or genuinely bothering your child, gentle treatment can help, and a clinician will choose an approach suited to a child and explain what to expect. We’re happy to see children as well as adults, and can advise whether treatment or simple reassurance is the right call.
Preventing Spread, and When to See a Doctor
A few simple habits reduce the chance of spreading warts to yourself or others:
Don’t pick, scratch or shave over warts, which spreads them.
Keep warts covered, especially plantar warts at the pool or gym — wear thongs or pool shoes in communal areas.
Don’t share towels, socks or footwear.
Keep feet clean and dry, and cover a plantar wart with a waterproof plaster when swimming.
Wash your hands after touching a wart.
When to see a doctor about warts
See a clinician if a wart is painful, spreading, or not clearing; if you have a plantar wart making walking uncomfortable; if you have many warts; or if you’re simply unsure whether a growth is a wart.
Seek assessment if you have diabetes or poor circulation and develop a wart or any lesion on your feet — foot problems need extra care in these situations and shouldn’t be self-treated. Also have any skin growth checked promptly if it bleeds, changes, grows quickly, or doesn’t heal, as not every bump is a wart.
Wart treatment in Melbourne
If you’d like a wart assessed or treated, wart treatment in Melbourne is quick and straightforward. A clinician can confirm it’s a wart, recommend the best approach — often wart freezing cryotherapy — and treat it, including stubborn plantar warts that need a few sessions. Whether you want it gone for comfort, appearance or to stop it spreading, treatment is simple and effective. It’s carried out at our East Melbourne clinic, and similar in-clinic cryotherapy is used for molluscum too.
Frequently asked questions
Warts are firm, raised, rough growths with a grainy or cauliflower-like surface, usually skin-coloured, grey or brownish, often with tiny black dots inside (small clotted blood vessels) — a classic sign. Common warts on the hands are raised and rough; plantar warts on the soles are flatter, pushed inward, and surrounded by hard skin. If unsure, it’s worth having a growth checked.
Warts are caused by a common virus (the everyday skin types of human papillomavirus), which enters through tiny breaks in the skin and makes it grow into a wart. They’re mildly contagious, spreading by contact and via damp shared surfaces like pool decks and communal showers. Getting a wart doesn’t mean poor hygiene — the virus is extremely common and most people encounter it.
Yes, mildly. Warts can spread from one part of your body to another (by scratching, picking or shaving over them), to other people through direct contact, and via shared damp surfaces like pool decks, communal showers and changing rooms — which is why plantar warts are often picked up at pools and gyms. Covering warts and not sharing towels or footwear reduces spread.
A plantar wart (verruca) is a wart on the sole of the foot. Because it’s pressed inward by your body weight, it tends to grow into the skin rather than out, surrounded by hard skin, and can be painful when standing or walking — like a stone in your shoe. Plantar warts often have the classic black dots and can be stubborn, so treatment sometimes takes several sessions.
The most common in-clinic treatment is wart freezing (cryotherapy), which freezes and destroys the wart with liquid nitrogen. Other options include over-the-counter topical treatments applied over weeks, combination approaches for stubborn warts, and watchful waiting since many clear on their own. The best choice depends on the wart’s location, number, whether it’s painful, and your preference.
Wart freezing, or cryotherapy, applies an extremely cold substance (liquid nitrogen) to the wart, freezing and destroying the affected tissue. Over the following days the treated wart blisters and falls away, letting healthy skin grow back. Each treatment takes only a minute or two per wart, and warts often need several sessions a few weeks apart, particularly stubborn plantar warts.
There’s a sharp cold or burning sensation during and shortly after the freezing, which settles fairly quickly. Most people find it very tolerable for the brief time it takes. A blister may form over the next day or two — this is normal; keep the area clean and don’t pick at it. Any discomfort afterwards is usually mild and short-lived.
It varies. Some warts clear after one or two freezing sessions, while stubborn warts — particularly plantar warts on the feet — often need several treatments a few weeks apart. A clinician will assess your wart and give you a realistic idea of how many sessions are likely. Combining freezing with a topical treatment can help resistant warts respond.
Often, yes — many warts clear by themselves as the immune system deals with the virus. The catch is it can take months to a couple of years. So watchful waiting is reasonable for a wart that isn’t bothering you, but treatment is worthwhile if a wart is painful, spreading, awkwardly placed, or simply something you’d rather not wait years to clear.
Yes. Plantar wart treatment in Melbourne is straightforward — a clinician can confirm it’s a plantar wart, recommend the best approach (often wart freezing cryotherapy, sometimes with a topical treatment), and treat it over the sessions needed. Because plantar warts can be painful and stubborn, getting them treated properly is often more effective than persisting with home remedies alone.
Don’t pick, scratch or shave over warts; keep them covered, especially plantar warts at the pool or gym (wear thongs or pool shoes); don’t share towels, socks or footwear; keep feet clean and dry; cover a plantar wart with a waterproof plaster when swimming; and wash your hands after touching a wart. These simple habits reduce spread to yourself and others.
See a clinician if a wart is painful, spreading or not clearing, if a plantar wart makes walking uncomfortable, if you have many warts, or if you’re unsure whether a growth is a wart. Seek assessment if you have diabetes or poor circulation and develop a foot lesion, and have any growth checked promptly if it bleeds, changes, grows quickly or doesn’t heal.
No. Genital warts are caused by different types of the same virus family, are sexually transmitted, and are assessed and treated through sexual health care rather than as a skin-wart treatment. Common warts and plantar warts on the hands and feet are not sexually transmitted. If you’re concerned about genital warts, they’re managed separately and confidentially.
Yes — warts are very common in children and we’re happy to see them. In children, warts often clear on their own, so watchful waiting is frequently best and there’s no need to rush into treatment. When a wart is painful, spreading or bothering your child, a clinician will choose a gentle approach suited to a child. A Specialist GP can advise whether treatment or simple reassurance is the right call.
