warts treatments

Wartsare a very common skin infection and it's harmlessly caused by a virus. However, its exact reason is not clear now. The most noticed is that it is most common among children more than adults, even though it is not proof of an immune system problem.

What are Warts?

Warts are small skin lumps caused by a virus which is known as the Human papillomavirus (HPV). The wart usually has a flesh-colored appearance with rough skin. Warts are common in school-aged children, but they can also appear at any age.

Types of Warts

There are many types of warts depending on the affected part of the body, such as:

• Hands: This wart is called common warts; because it is the most common type.
• Face: A flat wart affects the face and forehead.
• Feet: Plantar warts appear on the soles of the feet as growths with small black dots in the middle. They are often painful and form in clusters.
• Genitals: this type of wart appears on or around the genitals. In addition, it is a sexually transmitted infection that is caused through sexual contact with an infected person.
• Around the nails and under the tongue: This warts form under or around nails and toenails.

What causes Warts? Is it contagious?

When human papilloma virus HPV gets into a wound in the skin, it causes a skin infection that forms warts. It is very contagious. The virus can spread from person to person or from different parts of the body through:

• Direct contact with the wart.
• Touching something contaminated with the virus, such as towels, door handles, and shower floors.
• Sexual contact (genital warts).
• Nail-biting and cutting dead skin.
• Shaving.

Warts complications

Almost warts disappear without leaving any effects; however, sometimes it causes some problems, such as:

• Cancer: HPV and genital warts are related to many types of cancer, including anal cancer, cervical cancer, and throat (oral and pharyngeal) cancers. You can reduce your risk of genital warts by receiving the HPV vaccine and using condoms.
• Disfigurement: People with weakened immune systems may develop clusters of warts on the hands, face, and body to make disfigurement.
• Infection: An infection can occur if you cut warts. Wounds on the skin allow bacteria to enter.
• Pain: Most warts do not hurt, however, plantar warts can grow inward to the foot and that would be painful to walk on, and it may feel as if there is a pebble under the skin of your foot.

Diagnosis of warts

Our doctor will help you to diagnose warts by examining the skin, and then the doctor may take a skin biopsy to make sure the wart isn't another type of growth, such as skin cancer.

Warts treatment

Before deciding on treatment, the doctor will usually examine warts, and then ask you about family history, and may take some biopsies for tests.

Salicylic Acid

You can easily treat warts at home with Salicylic AcidThis treatment doesn't need any prescription such as medicated creams or even therapeutic dressings. So, you will have to apply salicylic acid daily for several weeks or even months. It is important to protect the skin around the wart before applying this treatment. As salicylic acid may damage healthy skin. In addition to that, you should not apply salicylic acid to your face.

Cryotherapy

In cryotherapy, liquid nitrogen is placed over warts, thus, it destroys the cells, then the bubble will develop, peel off and in the end fall off. Only a doctor can perform cryotherapy, and it often needs frequent treatments.

Surgery

The doctor usually will not recommend surgery for warts, unless all other treatment options prove ineffective. Surgical options to remove warts may include:

• Excision: the doctor will cut the wart out under local anesthesia.
• Electro-surgery: This procedure burns warts with an electric tool.
• Laser treatment: Our dermatologist will use a high-energy laser device to damage the wart and remove any other marks.

Moreover, surgical options may leave visible marks, while warts that disappear naturally don't leave scars.

Other Warts treatments

If warts didn't respond to the normal treatments, the dermatologist at the Nadara clinic for Dermatology, Laser & Cosmetology in Hurghada in Red Sea Governorate may offer other options, such as:

• Injecting warts with Bleomycin or Blenoxane, an anti-cancer drug
• Chemical peels may help get rid of flat warts.
• Antibiotics are only effective in case of infection.

Actually, it's really hard to completely or permanently get rid of common warts, especially around the fingernails and toenails.

You can also read: “Laser hair removal in Hurghada”"

Home Warts treatments

Warts treatment can be done at home, as it often disappears on its own so the first step in self-treatment is maintaining good hygiene and preventing any infection.

Some people may recommend other treatments, such as placing a tape over warts or even types of hypnosis, but these treatments are purely unreal and have no benefit or medical support. If you're concerned about warts, contact Nadara clinic for Dermatology, Laser & Cosmetology in Hurghada.

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Prevention of warts

You can reduce the risk of spreading warts or skin infections. All you have to do is just follow some precautions to take such as:

• Avoid touching other people's warts.
• Don't use other people's towels or other personal items.
• Avoid scratching warts.
• Wear sandals when entering and exiting communal swimming pools.
• Do not comb, shave or cut hair in areas with skin warts.
• While cutting nails, never use the same clippers on both the infected nail and the healthy nail.
• Keep hands as dry as possible.
• Deep Wash your hands after touching warts.

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Most Warts can be managed by Nadara clinic for Dermatology, Laser & Cosmetology in Hurghada through the prescribed treatment above. However, all prevention methods must be followed in order to prevent the spread of warts and the complications of symptoms.