Warts

What is a wart?

Wart (medical name is verruca) is an infectious growth on the skin caused by a human papilloma virus (HPV). It is one of the most common skin diseases with vast majority of people having at least one wart sometimes during their lifetime. It most commonly occurs in younger people (5-20 years), but it can show up anytime during the life.

How do the warts look and feel like?

Warts look like a rough, usually skin-colored bumps on the skin. Many warts have black dots (tiny blood vessels) that people mistakenly call seeds. They usually occur on hands and feet, but any skin area can be involved. They are often without any abnormal feeling, but sometimes they may become itchy, or painful.  

How did I get warts?

Probably you have touched someone else’s wart, or an infected object. For example, you may get warts on the soles (medical name verruca plantaris) by walking barefoot around the gym, lockers, swimming pools etc.

Can warts go away without any treatment?

Yes, most of warts will disappear spontaneously, but it can take some months or years. For example, about 1 in 4 children will be wart-free at 2 months, 1 in 3 at 3 months, 8 in 10 at 2 years, and 9 in 10 in over 5 years.

How can I treat my warts at home?

 You can treat your warts yourself only if you are absolutely sure that you have warts, since some cancers can look like warts.  Here is what we recommend to our patients:

Treating the warts with 40% salicylic acid patch (brand names: Curad Mediplast, Dr. Scholl’s Clear Away Salicylic Acid Wart Remover, Pads & Discs)

• This medicine is kept behind the pharmacy counter and you must ask the pharmacist for the medicine. A prescription is not needed for this medicine.
• The medicine works to slowly destroy the wart tissue on the skin. It is applied to a wart every two days for many weeks. It may take several months for your warts to disappear.
• This medicine is supplied as an adhesive patch (also called a plaster) that contains 40% salicylic acid. This is a strong medicine that is used only on the hands/arms and feet/legs.

1. Soak the area with the wart in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes if possible. Dry the area well.
2. Use the emery board or pumice stone to remove as much of the warty skin as possible. Removing the surface of the wart allows medicine to enter more deeply into the wart.
3. Cut the patch to the exact size of the wart.
4. Remove the plastic backing on the patch. Apply the sticky surface to the wart.
5. Cover the patch with silver duct tape. This secures the patch so that it cannot move.
6. Remove the patch after 2 days, and soak the area for 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Use the emery board or pumice stone to remove as much of the white dead skin as possible. Removing the dead skin allows a new application of medicine to enter deeply into the wart.
8. Apply a new patch to the wart.
9. Repeat these steps every two days, or as you are directed by your doctor.

or

Treating the warts with 17% salicylic acid liquid (brand names: Compound W, DuoFilm)

This liquid is extremely flammable. Keep away from fire or flame.

1. Soak the area with the wart in warm water for 20 to 30 minutes if possible. Dry the area well.
2. Use the emery board or pumice stone to remove as much of the warty skin as possible. Removing the surface of the wart allows medicine to enter more deeply into the wart.
3. Apply the liquid to the wart.
4. Cover the area with silver duct tape.
5. Remove the silver duct tape in 1 day and soak the area for 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Use the emery board or pumice stone to remove as much of the white dead skin as possible. Removing the dead skin allows a new application of medicine to enter deeply into the wart.
7. Repeat these steps once daily, or as you are directed by your doctor.
8. Be patient, since it can take several months for warts to disappear.

 

OK, I have tried the home treatments for 2-3 months without any help, what should I do next?

You should see your health care provider who will confirm that you indeed have warts, and who then can offer you the following:

• Freezing the warts off with liquid nitrogen, which is a very, very cold fluid (-196°C, or about -320°F). It may require several (painful) treatments spread 2-4 weeks apart for complete clearance. Your health care provider does this. You may need to repeat the treatment every 2-4 weeks (safe in pregnancy).
• Scraping them off (curettage) under local anesthesia.
• Application of blistering liquids such as cantharidin.
• Injection of Candida (form of yeast) antigen directly into two largest warts, with hope that it will trigger an immune reaction against all the warts, including those that have not been injected.
• Injection of bleomycin into the wart.
• Lasers.
• 5-fluorouracil cream (brand names: Efudex, Carac).
• Imiquimod cream (brand names: Aldara, Zyclara).

  

For more specific questions on warts please send us your question using our blog below.