Warts are ugly, lumpy growths on the skin that can be quite disfiguring in extreme cases. Caused by an infection of the human papilloma virus (HPV), they are more common in older children. Thankfully, wart treatments are many and depend on the kind and severity of the problem.

Warts are contagious and the virus can be transmitted by skin contact or sharing clothing and towels with an infected person. There are – hold your breath – about 100 strains of HPV which cause different types of warts.

There are common warts, flat warts, filiform warts, genital warts, plantar warts and mosaic warts. Wart treatments depend on the location, type and size of the wart.

There are various over-the-counter preparations available for wart treatments.  It is important to note that warts on the face and genital area should be treated by a doctor.

Plasters for Warts

Salicylic acid is commonly used, in the form of drops or plasters, to treat warts on the hands, feet and knees. Salicylic acid dissolves the protein which makes up a large part of the wart as well as the layer of dead skin on top of it.

The affected area has to be cleaned and the acid applied daily for upto12 weeks to be effective. It should be used after a bath, as this treatment works best on damp skin. Plasters treated with this medication can also be used. However, salicylic acid should be avoided in patients with diabetes.

Silver nitrate, available as a caustic pencil, can be used at home to remove warts. This is a tedious process which involves up to six daily applications to get results.

Aerosol wart treatments are an inexpensive option. These contain Freon refrigs

Zerants and are sprayed on warts to freeze them at a temperature of -57ºC. 

Suffocating Warts

Did you know that you can suffocate warts by covering them with duct tape for up to six days? The affected area is then soaked in water and scraped with a pumice stone. The sonly problem is getting the tape to remain on-site for six days!

When home wart treatments fail, visit a doctor. Dermatologists use liquid nitrogen to freeze warts at a temperature of -196ºC. This is known as cryosurgery. At least 3 to 4 treatments are needed for warts on thin skin. Warts on thick skin will need many more treatments.

Doctors sometimes paint warts with a chemical called cantharidin. This causes the wart to blister. The dead skin is removed on your next visit to the doctor.

Other options are surgical cutting or burning of the wart, or laser removal. However, these methods may leave scars and are used as a last resort when other wart treatments fail.

Types of Lasers

Pulse dye lasers are safer and less likely to cause scarring. Carbon dioxide lasers work by destroying the skin and tissue. Both these wart treatments are expensive and painful. Laser treatment with an infrared coagulator costs less, but is equally painful.

Imiquimod is a topical cream used to treat genital warts, but is also effective in treating some common warts. It activates the immune system to fight the human papilloma virus. 

Bleomycin can also be used, but these injections are very painful and damage the skin while destroying the warts. This drug may also cause problems with blood circulation. This line of treatment is chosen when other methods fail and before attempting surgery.

Vaccines and Injections

During the last few years, doctors have been injecting candida (yeast which produces vaginal infections in women) antigens at the site of the wart. This tricks the immune system into attacking the wart as well as the injected candida. 

Injections with mumps antigens are also effective.

Gardasil is a vaccine which is intended to prevent anogenital warts. It prevents infections with some strains of the HPV virus.

Warts usually disappear within one or two years without treatment. However, sometimes they recur even after treatment. Extreme wart treatments such as surgical or laser removal should be attempted only when other methods fail.

Successful Wart Treatments is a post from: Skincare