Warts
Dealing with warts
Warts are a very common skin problem that affect many people. They are caused by a virus called the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Warts are contagious. They can spread from contact with the skin or objects containing the HPV virus. Warts can affect any and all areas of the body. Warts are benign and not cancerous. However, they can grow big and sometimes cause pain or discomfort depending on where on the body they are.
Treatments for warts can vary depending on size of the wart(s), number of warts requiring treatment, location on the body and age of the patient being treated.
- Cryotherapy: This is better known as freezing. I use liquid nitrogen to freeze away warts. This can sometimes cause discomfort and pain during the process but it is well tolerated by most patients. It is a great method because it works well and does not usually cause much scarring. This may need to be done more than one time over a few visits for bigger and more stubborn warts. Freezing causes the warts to blister and over time they fall off as the skin heals. Check out the section on Procedure Care to learn how to take care of them after freezing.
- Canthucur: This is also known as Cantharone or "beetle juice" (it is derived from the blister beetle). This is a great method for children (and adults too!) because it is a painless process when treating the warts. I paint a medication on the warts that will dry and crust over very quickly. The medicine will stay in contact with your skin for a period of time (1 or more hours depending on size and location of wart) and I will tell you when to wash away the medication at home. When you wash off the medication it will cause the skin to react by forming a blister over the wart and surrounding skin and cause the wart to come off as the skin heals. Like the freezing, this too is a great method because it works well and does not usually cause much scarring. Plus children do great with this method. This may need to be done more than one time over a few visits for bigger and more stubborn warts. Check out the section on Procedure Care to learn how to take care of them after this is done.
- Electrodessication and Curretage: This is also called "burning" a wart off. This is sometimes done for truly stubborn warts. This requires a local numbing agent to be given by injection to the area where the wart is located. The wart is then cauterized (or burned) and scraped away. The skin heals on its own and it does not blister. This is a good choice for certain warts in certain locations of the body. Check out the section on Procedure Care to learn how to take care of the sites after this procedure is done.
- Topical Therapy: Their are various topical creams available by prescription and over-the-counter that can be beneficial in the right case. During our evaluation, I would be happy to discuss what the right choice would be because many factors determine the best option.
During our visit I will discuss with you all of your options and let you know my opinion on what would be the best method to treat your warts and how you will see the best results.