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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Getting rid of genital warts “forever” has an honest, two-part answer: clinic treatments reliably remove the
visible warts, and although no treatment eradicates the HPV virus itself, the
immune system clears it in most people over months to a couple of years — after which warts stop returning. So
lasting freedom is usual; it just happens on the immune system’s timetable. This guide explains how to get there and
how to lower the chance of recurrence along the way.
The Honest “Forever” Answer
It helps to separate two things. The warts are the visible growths; the HPV is the
virus in the skin that produces them. Treatment removes the warts effectively. No cream, freeze or operation wipes
out the virus — but your immune system usually does, suppressing and clearing HPV over time so that warts no longer
form. Whether the virus can truly be eradicated is covered in
can the virus be completely eradicated.
Beware anything promising to “kill the virus forever” — that’s not how HPV works.
Clearing the Visible Warts
The visible warts are removed by an in-clinic procedure — cryotherapy, electrosurgery, excision or laser — or treated
with prescription creams (podophyllotoxin or imiquimod) over several weeks. The methods, speed and cost are compared
in the complete removal guide,
and what the procedure is like in what to expect and aftercare.
Ordinary antiviral tablets don’t work on HPV,
and hand-and-foot wart removers are unsafe on genital skin.
Lowering the Chance of Return
Warts can recur, most often in the first few months, because HPV may persist in nearby skin — this is normal and
simply re-treated. You can help by completing any prescribed course, not smoking (smoking is linked to higher
recurrence), supporting general health, and discussing the HPV vaccine, which protects against the
main wart-causing types. Immune-based treatments such as imiquimod may reduce recurrence. More in
why they keep coming back.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can genital warts be gone for good?
- Usually, yes — but in two stages. Treatment removes the visible warts, and over time your immune system clears the underlying HPV, after which warts stop forming. No treatment eradicates the virus instantly; lasting freedom comes as the immune system clears it, typically over months to a couple of years.
- Is there anything that kills the HPV virus?
- No treatment eradicates HPV directly. Treatments remove the warts and, in the case of imiquimod, prompt your immune system to act. The virus is ultimately cleared by your own immune response, so claims to “kill the virus forever” are misleading.
- How can I stop genital warts coming back?
- You can lower the odds by completing any prescribed treatment, not smoking, supporting your general health and discussing the HPV vaccine. Recurrences, if they happen, are usually in the first few months and can simply be re-treated.
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