Warts Treatment & Removal

Warts are very common skin growths but not every skin growth is a wart!  True warts are actually viruses that a person has “caught.”  These viruses, which are called HPV (human papilloma virus) live in the upper layers of the skin called the epidermis.  Sometimes, warts are tenacious and difficult to eradicate and other times warts simply disappear on the own accord.
 

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Warts have a multitude of appearance.  If the wart is on the bottom of the foot, for example (a “plantar” wart), they appear to be flat, rough plaques that frequently have little bits of stippling, like black dots.  Because they are on the bottom of the feet, the pressure of walking does not allow them to grow outward like they may do when on the fingers and hands.

Common warts, as seen on the hands and fingers for example, are usually elevated little growths but when they grow around the fingernails do not tend to be as much elevated as a roughened “warty” area.  And by the way, warts can and do grow underneath the fingernails!
 

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One of the common presentations of warts are a multitude of flat bumps that are in the beard area of men.  Probably, shaving spreads these wart viruses.

There are more wart treatments than there are warts!  However, the first question is must you treat at all?  Children’s warts not uncommonly disappear and children generally do not like wart treatments so unless there is a specific reason, sometimes time is the best treatment.  However, in children, as in adults, if the warts are rapidly spreading, growing, or are painful and bleeding, or in bothersome areas, that would be a reason to treat.  Also, adult warts are frequently embarrassing and they do not tend to disappear on their own.
 

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Common methods that Martin Dermatology uses to treat warts include the application of various chemicals, cryosurgery, electrosurgery, salicylic acid, and gentle curettage and dessication.  Laser surgery, although may be used, shows no advantage over other treatments.

The final word of caution is, particularly in adults, if you have what you think is a wart, it probably is best for a dermatologist to at least evaluate it to make sure you do not have a warty type of skin cancer.  Then you can discuss whether you want to actually treat or not!
 

Photo by dermnet.com