Warts are benign and unattractive growths on the skin or mucous membranes. Also known as verrucae, warts can cause severe pain and discomfort. Though warts can appear at any age, children and teenagers are most commonly afflicted.

Causes

Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus is extremely common and nearly 100 different types of HPV have been identified. Most types of HPV produce common warts on the skin. HPV can be contracted through direct and indirect contact, and the virus most commonly enters the body through areas of the skin that are moist, cracked, or peeling. The incubation period of the average wart is 2 to 9 months following infection.

Symptoms

Warts most commonly appear around the cuticle on the tops of hands and fingers. They are rough, thick papules that can develop solitarily or in large numbers. In most cases, minute blood vessels, which have the appearance of black dots, can be seen. To confirm suspicion of a wart, or to make sure progression to skin cancer (very rare) hasn’t occurred, a biopsy can be performed.

Treatment

Warts often do not require treatment, especially in children. In most cases, they will go away on their own. However, there are several treatment methods that can decrease discomfort and speed up the process. Some warts may require repeated treatments because they commonly reoccur and are quite difficult to eradicate completely.

Physical Removal

Warts can be removed with liquid nitrogen, or by being scraped, burned, lasered, or surgically cut out. If you choose this form of treatment, you must contact a professional. It should also be noted that children do not often react well to these aggressive, and sometimes painful methods of treatment.

Prescribed Chemicals

Your doctor may also be able to prescribe an effective chemical treatment that can be applied topically. These topical treatments often contain podophyllin or cantharin, and can eradicate warts rather quickly.

Over-the-Counter Medications

There are many different over-the-counter wart medications that you can buy. The best ones are topical and contain salicylic acid. Though they are not as powerful as prescription remedies, they can speed up the healing process considerably.

Injections

If warts are resilient to all other treatments, there are injections that can be administered directly to the wart. These injections contain a dilution of bleomycin, which is a common medication used in chemotherapy. This treatment method is usually highly effective for the removal of warts.

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