Personalized Care for Warts at UDermic Health
If at-home wart treatments have not worked after approximately 4 to 12 weeks, consider scheduling an appointment with a dermatologist. A dermatology provider can evaluate the wart and recommend the most appropriate treatment based on its type and location.
You should always contact a dermatologist if a wart causes pain or changes in color or appearance. All genital warts should also be evaluated by a physician.
At UDermic Health, our dermatology providers evaluate and treat different types of warts and HPV-related skin growths. If you have a persistent, painful, changing, or difficult-to-treat wart, we can assess the affected area and recommend an appropriate treatment option.
What are warts?
Warts are small, harmless skin growths that most commonly develop on the hands and feet, although they can appear almost anywhere on the body. Some warts are flat and smooth, while others may have a raised, dome-shaped, rough, or cauliflower-like appearance. The skin surrounding a wart may also appear lighter or darker than the surrounding skin.
Warts are caused by different types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). They can occur in people of all ages and may spread from person to person or from one area of the body to another.
Warts are benign, meaning they are noncancerous, and they are generally painless. Some warts eventually disappear without treatment, but this can take time. In many cases, treatment may be used to help eliminate persistent or bothersome warts.
Wart Treatment Options
Many warts can respond to treatments available without a prescription. Depending on the type, location, size, and persistence of the wart, treatment options may include:
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Cryotherapy – Freezes the wart using liquid nitrogen or nitrous oxide to destroy the affected tissue.
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Electrosurgery – Uses an electrical current to destroy wart tissue.
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Laser surgery – Uses heat to destroy the wart tissue so that the wart eventually falls away.
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Nonprescription freezing products – Dimethyl ether aerosol products freeze the wart and cause the affected tissue to die.
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Salicylic acid – Helps dissolve keratin, the protein that makes up the wart and the thickened skin covering it. Salicylic acid is available in gels, pads, drops, and plasters and may take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to eliminate a wart.
Warts
Common Types of Warts
Common Warts
Common warts can develop anywhere on the body but are most frequently found on the backs of the fingers, toes, and knees. These skin-colored, dome-shaped growths often develop where the skin has previously been broken, such as following a scratch or insect bite.
Common warts can range in size from approximately a pinhead to 10 mm and may develop as a single wart or as multiple growths.
Filiform Warts
Filiform warts, sometimes called facial warts, have a long, narrow, flesh-colored, stalk-like appearance. They may occur individually or in groups and are commonly found around the eyelids, face, neck, and lips.
Filiform warts may occasionally cause itching or bleeding and can often be treated with over-the-counter wart medications.
Flat Warts
Flat warts, also known as plane warts, commonly develop on the face and forehead. They are usually flesh-colored or white and have a slightly raised, flat surface.
Flat warts frequently appear in groups and are more common in children and teenagers than in adults.
Genital Warts
Genital warts develop around the genital and pubic areas. They may also occur inside the vagina or anal canal or in the mouth, where they may be referred to as oral warts.
These warts typically begin as small, soft growths but can become larger and frequently develop in clusters. Genital warts are sexually transmitted and highly contagious. Sexual contact should generally be avoided when visible genital warts are present.
Genital warts should always be evaluated and treated by a physician.
Plantar Warts
Plantar warts develop on the soles of the feet. Because they occur on weight-bearing areas, plantar warts can become painful when standing or walking.
They typically have a rough, cauliflower-like appearance and may contain a small black speck. Plantar warts often develop in groups and can sometimes combine to form a larger area known as a mosaic wart. They can also spread rapidly.
Subungual and Periungual Warts
Subungual and periungual warts are rough growths that develop around or underneath the fingernails and toenails. They may begin as nearly unnoticeable, pin-sized lesions before growing to approximately the size of a pea.
As they grow, these warts may develop rough, irregular surfaces and uneven borders. Subungual and periungual warts can interfere with normal, healthy nail growth.
Because of their location around or underneath the nails, these types of warts can be difficult to treat and generally require medical attention.