Warts Specialist

What are warts?

Warts are a type of skin growth that starts when you come into contact with a certain virus. While they’re usually pretty small, they spread easily. If you touch another part of your body with your wart, you can develop another wart in that area.

Warts take on varied appearances based on where they grow and the general thickness of your skin in that area. Your palms and the soles of your feet are two of the most likely places to get warts, and they often become calloused in these areas because of the thicker skin.

No matter where you grow a wart, it might take on one or more of these features:

• Fleshiness
• Graininess
• Black spots
• Tan, white, or pink color
• Rough texture

If your wart is on a weight-bearing surface, like the sole of your foot, it’s likely to be flush against your skin. In other places, it might be elevated above your skin’s surface. 

What causes warts?

Warts come from viruses related to human papillomavirus (HPV). This is a wide category of contagious viruses that you can spread in a number of ways. It’s very easy to develop a wart after touching someone else’s wart directly or touching your own wart directly.

To avoid getting warts, you should wear shoes when you’re in communal showers, public pool areas, or locker rooms. You can also reduce your chances of getting a wart by avoiding items that are commonly shared between people, like towels or shower slippers, especially if you know that another user has a wart.

While it isn’t a direct cause, you’re at higher-than-average risk of getting a wart if you have a suppressed or weak immune system.

How are warts treated?

The experts at Clear Skin Dermatology frequently treat warts with several approaches. While warts tend to clear up eventually with no professional treatment at all, treating your wart can prevent its spread to other people or other parts of your skin.

To treat your wart, your provider might recommend:

• Topical salicylic acid products
• Cryotherapy (freezing)
• Cantharidin (a topical blistering agent)
• Retinoids
• Minor surgery

Your provider discusses your options and tells you which might be the most effective in your case. You can help them find the best treatment possible by providing your medical history, a list of your current medications, and specific details about your wart’s appearance and development.

If you get a wart anywhere on your skin, call the nearest Clear Skin Dermatology location or request a visit online today.