Mr. Onur Gilleard
Qualifications & Experience
Mr Onur Gilleard is a distinguished consultant plastic surgeon on the GMC specialist register. He previously held an NHS consultant post at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, specialising in skin cancer and microsurgical reconstruction. In 2021, Mr Gilleard transitioned from the NHS to dedicate himself fully to private practice, allowing him to focus exclusively on providing personalised, high-quality care to his patients. He is recognised as an expert in laser treatments, having conducted research and developed advanced treatment protocols using cutting-edge laser technology to optimise both clinical outcomes and cosmetic results.
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Warts on the face — usually flat warts or thread-like filiform warts — are harmless but understandably a cosmetic concern. Because facial skin is delicate, precision matters: we use low-power CO2 laser or fine cautery, not freezing, to remove them while protecting your appearance, and take extra care in darker skin to avoid pigment change. This guide covers the facial wart types, how they’re removed, the darker-skin protocol, cost, and why over-the-counter kits should never go near your face.
Facial Wart Types
Two types dominate on the face. Flat warts (verruca plana) are small, smooth, flat-topped and often appear in groups on the forehead, cheeks or around the mouth — common in younger people, and easily spread along a shaving or scratch line. Filiform warts are long and thread-like, typically around the eyes, nose and mouth, and grow quickly. Before treating anything, it’s worth confirming a facial growth really is a wart and not another lesion — the identification of different types is covered in our wart identification guide. A filiform wart is sometimes mistaken for a small skin tag because of its thread-like shape, but a wart has a rougher surface and is viral, while a skin tag is soft and smooth. A word of caution for any facial growth: in Mr Gilleard’s words, if a lesion bleeds without trauma, changes colour, grows rapidly, ulcerates, or has failed repeated standard treatment, he’d want it examined and possibly biopsied rather than simply treated as a wart — getting the diagnosis right before treating protects both your health and your appearance.
How We Remove Them (and Why Method Matters)
On facial skin, precision protects your appearance, so the method choice is deliberate. Our approach is low-power CO2 laser or fine cautery only — both remove the wart with control and minimal marking. We avoid cryotherapy on the face (and especially in darker skin) because freezing is less precise and carries a real risk of a permanent pale or dark patch. Aggressive cutting or home acids have no place here. Most facial warts are dealt with in a single visit under local anaesthetic. Aftercare is straightforward — keep the area lightly moist rather than letting it dry-scab, don’t pick it, and use strict sun protection while it settles, which on the face usually takes a couple of weeks with any redness fading over a few more. The full method comparison is in our wart & verruca removal guide, and scarring is covered in avoiding wart scars.
Darker Skin: Avoiding Pigment Change
Darker skin needs a more careful protocol, because it’s more prone to pigment change after any procedure. We work at conservative depth, sometimes treat a small test area first to see how the skin responds, and advise strict SPF for three months afterwards. In some cases we prescribe hydroquinone to reduce the chance of hyperpigmentation. Freezing is specifically avoided in darker skin. These steps make a genuine difference to the final result and are part of why facial warts are best treated by a consultant rather than at home.
Why Not to Use Home Kits on the Face
Over-the-counter salicylic acid and freezing kits are made for thick skin on hands and feet, not the face. On facial skin they can cause dermatitis, pigment changes or superficial burns, and the mark they leave can be worse than the wart. Never use them on the face. And never pick or scratch a facial wart — that spreads the virus, often along a shaving or scratch line, turning one wart into several.
Cost and Considerations
At London Skin Clinic, wart removal is £300, with each additional wart £200 and the consultation £100. Flat warts often come in clusters, so treatment is sometimes staged over more than one visit to keep it gentle on facial skin. You’re given the full cost before any procedure. View the wart removal procedure · book an assessment or call 0203 916 6200. Hertfordshire patients are welcome — see facial wart removal near Hertfordshire.
Your Questions, Answered
- What’s the best way to remove a wart on the face?
- Low-power CO2 laser or fine cautery, done by a consultant under local anaesthetic — precise, single-visit, and gentle on facial skin. We avoid cryotherapy on the face because it’s less precise and can leave a permanent pale or dark patch.
- Will removing a facial wart leave a scar?
- Usually not a noticeable one with careful CO2 laser or cautery — the significant-scar rate is under 5%. Conservative technique, strict sun protection afterwards, and in darker skin sometimes hydroquinone, all help keep the skin even.
- Is wart removal on the face safe for darker skin?
- Yes, with the right protocol: conservative low-power CO2 laser or fine cautery (never freezing), sometimes a test area first, strict SPF for three months, and hydroquinone if needed to reduce pigment change.
- Can I use a wart removal kit on my face?
- No. Over-the-counter acids and freezing kits are made for thick hand and foot skin and can cause dermatitis, pigment changes or burns on the face. Facial warts should be assessed and treated professionally.
- Why do my facial warts keep spreading?
- Flat warts spread easily along the face, especially through shaving, picking or scratching, which carries the virus across the skin. Don’t shave over them, don’t pick them, and treating them promptly helps stop one becoming many.
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