Warts are small ad hardened growth of skin which occurs when you come in contact of a virus named HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). Only some viruses of HPV family cause warts by stimulate growth of skin cells on a small area of your outer skin. Warts are non-cancerous and are not harmful. Warts may appear on different parts of your body. Some common places where you would see warts are fingers, toes, and bottom of your feet. Warts appearing on your feet’s bottom are known as verrucas. Warts are easily treatable through several ways.
Types of Warts
- Common Warts – These usually appear on your fingers and toes. They are most common form of warts. Common warts are gray, rough and round.
- Plantar Warts – Plantar warts are another name for verrucas. Appearing on bottom of your feet, they do not grow out as a projection. Plantar warts are visibly embedded in your skin. A person with plantar wart may find it uncomfortable to walk.
- Flat warts – These appear on thighs, arms or your face and often grow in groups. They are pink, brown or yellowish and may spread quickly .
- Genital warts – Some HPV viruses affect your skin in genital areas and causes warts. These can occur in your front abdomen area and around your anus.
- Filiform warts – Filiforms are more visible warts which can grow near your nose, forehead and neck. These appear like tiny strands or flaps on your skin. Filiform warts have the same color as your skin.
Why do we get warts?
Human Papilloma Viruses (HPV) are very common. So, warts are common in one form or the other. But not everyone have warts. Wart occurrence depends on a person’s immunity. A week and inexperienced immune system is more susceptible to warts. Weak immunity makes you vulnerable to all kinds of viruses including the HPV. Warts also occur more near the broken skin. Broken and tempered skin area allows viruses to get hold of the body easily. Genetics also play a role in deciding your immunity to HPV viruses. A person gets warts through skin contact to viruses. So, warts are very contagious and even a handshake with an infected person can start warts in your body.
Why do people remove warts?
In general, warts are not painful. They are just skin extensions and act just like other skin cells. Some warts are very rough and show no presence of sensation on them. And they do not show any pain too. Warts are not life threatening in most cases. So why get rid of them? It is because warts do not have a pleasant appearance. They often look dirty and make you appear unhealthy. Especially when a wart appears in face or neck, it act as an Eyesore.
Genital warts are recommended to be checked out because they are known to show cancer growth over time. But the chances of happening this are low. Still, to be on a safe side, have regular body checkups to ensure that your warts do not lead to cancer.
Treatment of warts
Warts have the nature of disappearing on their own. But this may take some time. Some warts may take 10 weeks to go away while others may take 2 years. If a wart is still present after 2 years, chances are that it will never go on its own. Treatment becomes necessary to remove the wart. Waiting for a wart to go away is a long process. And if your wart is visibly ugly, you may want to remove it as soon as possible.
Wart can be treated at home by using methods the freezing method. You can use cold sprays to freeze the skin repeatedly and then scrape of the wart easily. This method works with 50% warts. Doctors use liquid nitrogen for the same treatment concept.
You can use salicylic acid for treatment. Buy a 40% salicylic acid wart remover solution and apply on warts. You skin absorbs the acid over time and causes peeling of the virus cells. You can buy 40% salicylic acid wart remover in most pharmacies and online stores. Salicylic acid is also sold in the form of solid sticks.
Conclusion
Warts are not life threatening but they are often uncomfortable and unpleasant. Warts may show a lack of hygiene so removing them is a good choice. For treatment at home, you can use 40% salicylic acid wart remover solution or Wart stick wart remover. Both of them successfully treats most of the warts on your skin.
