Warts are small virus-induced growths that can appear anywhere on the body, inside your mouth or even in the genital and rectal areas. Warts are small, hard, bumpy masses of thickened skin. They can be soft or rough feeling.
They can vary greatly in size, shape, and color, but are often some flesh-colored variation. They most often appear on fingers, hands, elbows, knees. Warts are generally harmless but can have a negative inpact on a person’s appearance and self-confidence.
Some can cause significant discomfort and pain, especially plantar warts (on the weight-bearing parts of feet), and genital warts (which can affect sexual activity).
Warts are highly contagious and are caused by the human papillomavirus (hpv) family of viruses. These hpv viruses can be transmitted from person to person and from one part of the body to another and can be carried in the human body for years without warts being manifested.
Basic good skin care can help make it more difficult for the hpv to infiltrate the body and spread. Healthy skin is better equipped to fight off the virus than damaged skin, which is often prone to drying and cracking.
Fortunately, no one has to put up with warts. There are numerous choices for how to remove warts. Please note, the first four options require a dermatologist or skin care professional.
- Excision - dermatologist uses a scalpel to cut out the wart.
- Curettage - dermatologist uses a curette, or sharp-edged spoon-like instrument to scoop out the wart.
- Electrosurgery – dermatologist cuts out the wart using a curette and then cauterizes the surrounding tissue.
- Cryotherapy – dermatologist uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart and cause it to fall off.
- Chemical treatment – dermatologist uses caustic or acid to break down the infected skin, causing it to peel off.
- Topical treatments – over-the-counter treatments that use solutions containing concentrated salicylic acid to remove warts over the course of several weeks.
- Natural wart removal treatments – Click here to read about how to remove warts yourself safely and cheaply in your own home.
