Warts and How To Get Rid Of Them Fast

When the outer layer of your skin has become compromised by a virus-induced rapid growth of cells, the result is the development of the non-cancerous, common wart. Many individuals are unaware that it is the human papillomavirus (also known as HPV) that causes warts to surface. How to prevent the appearance and spread of the skin growths is also a lesser-known piece of information. To accurately identify the presence of the HPV virus on the skin, it is important to familiarize yourself with the signs, symptoms, causes, and treatments associated with the wart.

What is a Wart?

A wart is an abnormal growth of the skin that tends to appear on the hands, fingers, or close to the fingernails, which is considered the most common form of wart, while other variations of HPV cause warts to arise in other locations of the body, such as the face, legs, genitals, and the soles of the feet. Sometimes, common warts are mistaken for moles, but alike the latter, warts are never cancerous and generally harmless. Despite disappearing on their own, common warts can create great embarrassment for an individual, who may quickly seek treatment. Even though common warts may vanish in due time, individuals take action in order to prevent the spread of skin growths to other parts of the body or worse to other people. Unfortunately, this may not be the last time you will encounter a common wart, as the condition is known to reappear after treatment or constantly plague individuals.

Signs and Symptoms

To effectively identify a wart, there are a few signs and symptoms associated with the condition. Common warts are usually small in size and appear as fleshy, grainy bumps. They are often flesh-colored, but can also showcase shades of white, pink, or tan. When touching a wart, you will notice that it feels rough. Warts sometimes surface as one or could appear in multiples. They are typically painless, despite some that emerge as small, clotted blood vessels.  The location of a wart determines the type of HPV that has caused the condition in the first place. Warts that take place on the soles of the feet are called plantar warts. They often appear as flesh-colored or light brown bumps. Tiny black dots can also be seen on the warts, which are actually small clots of blood vessels. Flat warts are smaller and feel smooth to the touch. They often occur on the face or legs. They commonly strike children and teenagers rather than the adult population. Genital warts is one of the most common types of sexually transmitted diseases and serves as one of the most embarrassing of the HPV-related skin growths. The genitals, pubic region, and inside of the anal canal are all locations where genital warts develop. In women, the inside of the vagina is affected with this kind of wart.

What Causes Warts?

Common warts are a direct result of coming in contact with the human papillomavirus. HPV is an infectious disease that allows warts to pass from one person to another. The virus that causes warts is also spread when individuals touch a towel that has been used by an infected person or uses the same object as a person with HPV. Since not everyone possesses the same immune system response, warts affect men and women on an individual basis. While some kinds of warts, such as the type that attacks the genitals are highly contagious, the actual chance of contracting common warts from another is rather slim. Not only can you spread warts to another, but also the condition may travel to other parts of your body. Some instances may seem preventable, such as the habit of biting your nails, which can cause warts to spread onto your fingertips and about the nail region. Warts also spread to other places when breaks in the skin (like a scrape or hangnail) allow the virus to enter.

What You Should Do

In order to avoid the spread of warts and prevent new ones from appearing, seeking treatment in a timely manner is one of the things you should do to ease some of the visual and social discomfort the condition creates. Some people approach treatment in a self-care manner in order to eliminate common warts. Salicylic acid is a common ingredient found in the wart medication and patches decorating the shelves of drugstores. Common warts usually respond to solutions or patches that contain 17% salicylic acid (such as Compound W), which helps to remove infected skin. Many cases call for daily product use over the course of a few weeks. The best results are often seen when warts are soaked in warm water for about 15 to 20 minutes before a solution or patch is applied. Between treatments, a nail file or pumice stone helps to remove dead skin in an effort to speed up treatment.

Possible Wart Treatments

When you ignore treatment of common warts, the chances of spreading the virus increases, as well as the risk of becoming embarrassed when someone spots a skin growth. Over-the-counter medication is one of the most common ways to ease the symptoms of common warts. Stubborn cases require a certain amount of patience when it comes to treatment, but for some, the outcome is well worth the wait. Hard-to clear warts may call for the attention of a doctor. After examining the location of the wart(s), symptom intensity, and treatment preferences, physicians will suggest the least painful and less destructive methods, especially when treating young children. Liquid nitrogen (freezing) can destroy warts through an effective treatment method that doesn’t cause much pain. The doctor may mix the extract of the blister beetle (cantharidin) with other chemicals to coat the wart and then cover with a bandage. The process is painless, but an uncomfortable skin blister often surfaces. In time, the blister lifts the wart from the skin, allowing the doctor a chance to remove the dead part of the wart. Minor surgery may also take place to cut away wart tissue. The doctor can also destroy a wart by using an electric needle that has the potential to leave a scar behind. One of the most expensive approaches is laser surgery, which may also create a scar. Usually, these methods are seen as the last resort because of the pain and scar factor. The above wart removal techniques are also joined by additional choices your doctor may suggest.