How Can You Treat Warts?

Warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by a viral infection in the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are from human papillomavirus (HPV) family. Presently there are over 60 types of HPV warts. Warts are usually skin-colored and feel rough to the touch, but they can be dark, flat and smooth.

Types of warts: Plantar warts are warts on the bottom of the feet. Flat warts can be found on the face and on the body, trunk, legs and feet. Warts in the genital area are called venereal warts. The appearance of a wart depends on where it is growing. Often warts have black dots in them (seed warts) caused from broken blood vessels in the warts.

Spreading Warts: Warts are contagious and can be spread from person to person. This is particularly true if the skin is injured. Shaving the face in men and shaving the legs in women can spread warts. Do not use another personTs razor. Children and adults can spread warts by picking them and biting their fingernails that have warts. Some people are just more likely to catch the wart virus than are others, just as some people are more prone to catch a cold. Patients with a weakened immune system also are more prone to a wart virus infection.

Wart Treatment: Warts may disappear on their own without treatment over days, months to years. Since the body may spontaneously develop an immune response against the wart at anytime Õfolk» remedies, burying a penny or hypnosis may appear to have removed the wart. However, early treatment or 1-2 warts may prevent multiple warts that can be painful, cosmetically bothersome and may take months to disappear.

Over-the-counter remedies for warts are available at DermatologistRx. Any wart treatment at home should be used as directed on the package and should be discontinue, at least temporarily, if the wart becomes sore.

Common warts in young children can be treated at home by their parents on a daily basis by applying salicylic acid gel, solution or plaster.

Foot warts are difficult to treat because the bulk of the wart lies below the skin surface. However, a good regimen to treat plantar or foot warts is the following.

1. Put an application of salicylic acid plaster on the wart or cut a piece of salicylic acid on flannel to the size of the wart and apply it to the wart.
2. Surround the wart with a Dr. SchollTs donut. This relieves pressure on the wart.
3. Cover the wart and the Dr. Scholl's donut with Johnson's waterproof tape.
4. Remove this daily and gently scrape the wart off with a dull butter knife.
5. Repeat daily until the plantar wart is gone.

See your Dermatologist:
The Dermatologist should see warts that do not respond to over-the-counter treatment. Dermatologists are specially trained to select the best treatment for the type and location of the wart. Various treatments include:

• Liquid nitrogen or freezing the wart will cause the wart to form a blister and peel off. Performed carefully this rarely leaves a scar and the will be minimally painful.
• Cantharidin, a special liquid painted on a wart, will also create a blister under the wart causing it to peel off.
• Debridement or clipping away the wart can be performed by your Dermatologist.
• Electrosurgery or cauterizing the wart with an electric current will burn the wart away.
• Facial flat warts can be treated with glycolic acid and salicylic acid and tretinoin (Retin A).
• Immunotherapy with Aldera a cream you can apply to the wart is now available and is popular.
• Immunotherapy with bleomycin and Interferon is occasionally used but these are less popular because these need to be injected into the wart with a needle.
• Lasers can be used to remove warts but are more expensive and require anesthesia.
• Creating an allergic reaction by painting the wart with special allergens will often cause the body to remove the wart.

All products should be used as directed on the product container. Any product that causes irritation should be discontinued. The information provided at DermatologistRx is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a dermatologist or your physician.

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