Study Shows at-home Chemical Peel as Effective as Professional

I've known for a long time that some at-home chemical peels are as effective as those done professionally. A recent study shows that people who used the chemical peel agent salicylic acid on warts had the same results as professionals who used cryotherapy or freezing of warts.

"In a project funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA), researchers discovered that there is no evidence of a difference in clearance rates between patient self-treatment for verrucae (A type of wart) and treatment received by healthcare professionals."

Source: Medical News Today

I used salicylic acid on a wart several years ago, but I didn't use the same strength of salicylic acid that I use to keep acne away, which is what I can find in the cosmetics section at my drugstore! I used salicylic acid 20% gel, roll-on to remove my wart, and I applied one layer per day until I started to see a response.

The area became irritated after about a week, so I waited a couple of days between layers. I've seen products that contain a higher percentage, but it's not really necessary, and salicylic acid that burn the skin, so I would use caution with anything higher.