Warts are small benign skin growths that show up on
your skin
when a virus infects it. There are more than 100 types of human papillomaviruses (HPV) that cause warts in
different areas of your body!
Human papillomavirus (HPV) produces warts that can be spread from one person to another. The virus is
often caught through cuts on the skin. Hence, children are susceptible to warts, especially when
they play outside. Shaving can create opportunities for warts to grow. Warts can also be caused by
touching one on somebody else’s body or something like a towel that an infected person has touched.
Although usually not cancerous, warts are contagious and can be spread by physical contact,
especially through a cut or damage in your skin. They can appear dark and feel rough or smooth.
Warts can be flat or bulbous. Once contracted, the wart must be treated to prevent it from spreading
to other areas of your body or infecting another person.
Types of Warts
Common warts
Tend to grow on the fingers, the backs of the
hands, and
around the nails. They often feel like rough bumps and often encountered where the skin is
broken like when someone bites their fingernails. Also called seed warts for the black dots
that mimic the appearance of seeds.
Filiform warts
Can grow quickly and appear like thin, long
fingers sticking
out usually around the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Flat warts
Are usually smaller and smoother, but in greater
numbers, up to
100 at a time. These warts can develop anywhere on the body, although they appear most often
on the face of children, on the legs of women, and in the beards of men.
Foot warts
Often grow in clusters and on the soles of your
feet. Also
called plantar warts, they can be flat or grow inward which can cause pain when walking as
if you have pebbles in your shoe.
Genital warts
Appear on the genitals and in the pubic area as
well as
between the thighs.
Periungual and sublingual warts
Can be found around and under
your
fingernails and toenails.
Anyone can get a wart, although some people are more susceptible, especially children, teens,
people who bite their nails or pick at their hangnails, and those with a weakened immune system.
Can a wart come back?
Yes, a wart may come back at the same place or at a new site. There are no vaccinations against
the wart virus, but an experienced dermatologist like Dr. Sperling can treat new warts as soon
as they appear on your body.
When should I consult a dermatologist for a wart?
You should make an appointment with Dr. Sperling if you notice a wart has developed on your face
or other parts of your body and it is itchy or bleeding. Or if you think your child should be
checked. Don’t hesitate to set a consultation if you have a wart that looks suspicious and
continues to grow.
What is a skin biopsy?
A dermatologist performs a skin biopsy to remove a skin lesion and send it to a lab where part of
the wart is examined for diagnosis. A biopsy is a safe and quick procedure that helps provide
information about the possible severity of melanoma.
Does it make a difference having a wart treated early?
Yes, the earliest a wart can be treated, the better. It often gets bigger and spreads to other
parts of your body or to other people.
Can I become immune to warts?
It’s amazing how our immune system can recognize a virus and develop immunity against it, which
explains why most adults do not have warts.
What is the difference between a wart and corn?
Warts usually have tiny black dots, the blood vessels, whereas corns do not.
Types of Treatments
When it comes to the treatment of your warts, there are different
choices available
to you. The
objective is to destroy the wart and stimulate a response from your immune system to fight the
virus. Dr. Sperling will determine the best approach for your symptoms and the location of your
warts.
Cantharidin helps generate a blister to form underneath the
wart. A return
visit lets Dr. Sperling clip the dead tissue away.
Canthecur utilizes beetle juice extract on the affected area,
causing a
blister and destroying the wart. This treatment works well with younger kids since it does
not burn when applied to the skin.
Cryotherapy freezes the wart by applying liquid nitrogen,
creating a
blister to form around and under it. The dead tissue comes off in a week or so. It may be
necessary to have repeat treatments. This procedure may not be the best option for people
with dark skin as there may be a permanent scar at the treated site.
With curettage, a sharp knife or tiny tool is used to scrape
off a wart.
Curettage is often combined with electrosurgery to remove a wart.
Electrosurgery heats up and burns common, filiform, and foot
warts.
Excision involves the cutting of the wart.
Laser treatment can be effective when a wart has not responded
to other
treatments. The wart can be numbed with an anesthetic injection before the procedure. This
option can cause some pain and scarring. Here, the infected tissue is burned and the wart
eventually falls off.
At Sperling Dermatology: We
Know Skin
Sperling Dermatology is the top destination for wart removal in New
Jersey. Dr.
Shari Sperling will examine your skin and provide the best solution to solve your problem.
Specializing in both medical and cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Sperling will help you achieve Spectacular
Skin! At Sperling Dermatology, we care about our patients and work diligently to leave you looking and
feeling spectacular. We are here to provide you with results that fully satisfy your aesthetic needs.
Request your appointment and discover your true beauty! We offer the best skin
care in New Jersey, so call us at 973-800-1948 today!
Feel
Spectacular. Look Spectacular. Be Spectacular.
Come visit Dr. Sperling and our team of cosmetic experts and let us help you
achieve the spectacular skin you deserve! #StaySpectacular
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