Warts are small, rough, flesh-colored, pink, or white bumps on the skin’s surface or mucus membranes.
Causes
Warts are caused by varying strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV. Different strains can cause warts in different areas and are contagious and spread by shaving or via direct contact with someone else infected.
HPV can cause warts to appear in different areas, most commonly:
- Hands
- Feet
- Genitals
- Mouth, nose or mucus membranes.
- Fingers
- Areas where there is broken skin
Treatment
Warts can be treated at home using topicals containing salicylic acid and duct tape, however it can take weeks to months to be effective. If that isn’t successful or the warts need to be treated more quickly, we can use different methods in the office to remove them.
In-office treatment options:
- Cryotherapy: Freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen.
- Prescription Medications: combinations of anti-viral and exfoliating creams.
- Shave Removal: Under local anesthesia the wart can be cut off.
- Electrocautery: Using heat to burn off the wart.
- Chemical Peels: Differing acids to peel off the top layer of skin with the wart virus.
- Lasers: At times lasers or light therapy can be affective for warts.
For more information on warts, be sure to contact Nova Dermatology today.
