Warts Treatment In Gainesville, FL
Warts are small, usually painless growths that appear when a virus affects the skin’s top layer, the epidermis. Once the virus develops, the subsequent infection causes these rough, smooth, skin-colored bumps to form on the skin. Warts are highly contagious and can be passed from person to person through various transmission methods, and may occur on multiple parts of the body. As such, they often require treatment from a skin care specialist.
Our skin specialists at John W. Tyrone, MD, PLLC, Plastic Surgery are committed to helping patients look and feel their best with personalized, clinical treatments for warts. Contact us today to learn more about the skin conditions we treat and to schedule a skin care appointment.
What Causes Warts?
Warts are benign (non-cancerous) skin growths caused by a virus. Among the most common warts causes is the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). Individuals with cuts or damaged skin are likelier to get a wart than others without damaged skin. Warts commonly appear as raised, dome-shaped, flat, calloused, and hardened bumps on the skin. They may be skin-colored, brown, grey, or black. Warts are extremely contagious and may be transmitted through direct contact or through contact with a surface with a wart. The virus that causes warts may also spread through sexual intercourse (genital warts), nail-biting, cuticle picking, and shaving.
Types Of Warts
Anyone can get a wart; however, people with weakened immune systems or autoimmune conditions are more susceptible to the warts virus than others. There are five common wart types: common warts, flat warts, plantar warts, filiform warts, and water warts. During an appointment, your dermatologist will perform a skin examination, or a skin biopsy may be recommended to confirm the wart is not a harmful skin growth.
Common Warts
Common warts (verruca Vulgaris), or seed warts, are characterized by small, grainy skin growths most often developing on the fingers or hands. These warts are rough to the touch and may feature tiny, clotted blood vessels, which appear as small, black dots. Common warts have an ashy gray tone and can spread to other areas of the body upon contact.
Flat Warts
Flat warts are characterized by a smooth, flat-topped appearance with a brown-yellow or flesh color typically the size of a pinhead. These warts may develop on the face, legs, or backs of the hands in large numbers. Commonly referred to as juvenile warts, they are most commonly found in children and young adults.
Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are small warts appearing on weight-bearing areas of the feet, such as the heels and toes. Due to pressure on these areas, plantar warts may grow inward beneath a callus or a thick, hardened layer of skin. They appear as small, fleshy, rough, and grainy lesions with black pinpoints. Individuals may experience pain or tenderness while walking or standing.
Filiform Warts
Filiform warts appear as long, narrow projections that extend 1–2 millimeters outward from the skin. They generally form as individual lesions and can be skin-colored, yellow, brown, or pink. These warts are commonly referred to as facial warts, as they usually affect the skin around the eyes, among other mucous membranes on the face.
Water Warts
Water warts, or molluscum contagiosum primarily affect children and may be contracted by exposure to infected playmates by skin contact or through swimming pools. This type of wart appears as small pearly white or pink lumps. Water warts may appear as a single growth or multiple growths. They tend to appear in clusters on the face, neck, torso, and arms.
Warts Treatment
Oftentimes, warts may go away without treatment. However, if you cannot get rid of a wart, if your wart hurts, or if you have many warts, you likely require professional wart removal. The selected treatment for warts depends on a number of factors specific to the patient, such as the patient’s age and health as well as the wart’s type; whether or not any additional infections are present; whether or not any prior treatments have been performed; and the location, number, and size of the wart(s). Additional factors considered when selecting a treatment are the likelihood of infection to other areas of the body and other individuals. We advise against using an over-the-counter wart treatment, as these can aggravate the wart, causing the virus to spread, potentially harming the individual trying to remove the wart. During your appointment, Dr. Tyrone or Dr. Khairalla will determine the skin care treatment most effective for treating your wart.
How To Prevent Warts
There is no way to prevent warts completely. However, you can reduce your risk of becoming infected by the wart-causing virus or stop warts spreading to others by following certain warts prevention tips. We recommend you avoid touching another person’s wart; ensure each person in your home usual their own towels, washcloths, razors, nail clippers, socks, and other personal items; properly clean and cover cuts and scrapes; wash your hands frequently; keep your skin hydrated; avoid nail-biting; and wear flip-flops or pool shoes in public showers, pool areas, and locker rooms. For more information on warts prevention, contact us today.