Warts
Also called viral warts, plane warts, common warts, plantar warts, genital warts.
Skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus, which look different depending on their type and where they are.
Being updatedThe clinic is checking this page against its current practice. Everything here is from the patient leaflet; please ask at your consultation before you rely on a detail.
What it is
A wart is a skin growth caused by a DNA virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV). Its appearance varies with its type and its location on the body. Warts on the face may be smooth and flat-topped — plane warts — and they tend to spread rapidly with shaving. Warts on the limbs, common warts, may be flesh-coloured, raised and hard. Those on the soles of the feet, plantar warts, tend to grow deep into the skin and are more painful because of the weight put on them.
How it spreads
The virus gains entry into the skin after direct contact with recently shed viruses kept alive in warm, moist environments, or by direct contact with an infected person. The site of entry may be an area of recent injury. Once the virus enters the skin, a wart may appear on the surface any time between one and eight months later.
In some people warts resolve spontaneously. But while they are present they may spread from one part of the body to another by unintentional handling, and to close contacts. Plantar warts are very persistent, and so are warts in people whose immunity is reduced. Treatment is therefore useful in preventing spread.
How we treat it
Treatment depends on the site, the number and type of lesions, and the age of the patient. Several methods are available. The ones commonly used are wart paint — a combination of salicylic acid and lactic acid; cryotherapy, freezing with liquid nitrogen; and electrocautery, burning with an electric current after numbing the skin. Warts can recur after treatment at the same site or at different sites, and several treatments at frequent intervals may be required.
Warts and cervical cancer
All cervical cancers in women are caused by HPV, which also causes genital warts in both sexes. This does not mean that everyone who is infected will develop cervical cancer. Vaccination against HPV is available, and your doctor will advise on what is currently recommended. See the HPV vaccination page.
Written from the clinic's own patient leaflet, by Dr. D. A. Satish.
Common questions
- What skin conditions do you treat?
- The clinic's own patient leaflets cover acne and acne scarring, psoriasis, vitiligo, lichen planus and lichen planus pigmentosus, rosacea, urticaria, hidradenitis suppurativa, pityriasis rosea and keratolysis exfoliativa; fungal infections including tinea and pityriasis versicolor; shingles, cold sores, warts, scabies and molluscum contagiosum; male- and female-pattern hair loss; and the skin signs of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Dr Satish's stated special interests are clinical dermatology, acne, aesthetic dermatology and photodermatology.
Related
- CryotherapyFreezing unwanted skin lesions with liquid nitrogen, a simple office procedure that usually needs no anaesthetic.
- HPV vaccinationVaccination against the human papillomavirus, which causes genital warts and cervical cancer.
Please note
The information on this website is for general education only. It is not a substitute for a consultation, a diagnosis or a prescription. Always see a qualified doctor about your own condition.
Results of any medical or cosmetic treatment vary from person to person. This clinic does not guarantee a cure or a specific outcome.