What are warts?

According to Mayo Clinic, warts are benign — or noncancerous — skin growths that are triggered by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Typically, HPV is very contagious and thrives in warm, moist environments, such as gyms, whirlpools and saunas. The virus is transmitted physically through person-to-person contact or by touching infected objects, such as towels or pillows. The virus enters the skin through cuts or abrasions and then incubates for one to eight months before erupting into warts. Once the skin is infected, many types of warts can be transferred to new areas of the body or other people via physical contact.

Three types you may encounter

While there are more than 100 known types of warts, the three most common include:

• Common warts (Verrucae vulgaris) are flesh colored or gray, with a slightly raised surface and usually appear on the hands or near the nail bed. They’re often spread through breaks in the skin, including hangnails or scrapes. And nail biters beware: This bad habit can spread warts to your fingertips and around your nails.

• Plantar warts (Verrucae plantaris) are gray, brown or yellow with dark pinpoints (tiny capillaries that supply blood to the wart) and found on the heels or balls of the feet. These rough, often spongy warts grow into the skin, making them appear flat and more challenging to treat. You’re most likely to encounter plantar warts on contaminated surfaces, such as the tile floors of public locker rooms, showers and swimming pools. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, they most often occur in young teens, between the ages of 12 and 16.

• Flat warts (Verrucae plana) are also referred to as “juvenile warts” and common among kids and teens. These often flesh colored growths usually appear on the face and forehead, but also occur on the neck, arms and hands. They’re small — about the size of a pinhead — and have smooth flat tops. As many as 100 may be clustered in one location.

Infection prevention

When it comes to wart prevention, it’s important to think of it in two ways: avoiding the virus that causes warts (HPV) and stopping the spread of existing warts.

• Sidestep HPV. The easiest way to win the war on warts is to prevent them in the first place. And the only sure-fire way is to avoid HPV. Here’s how:

  • Say “no” to sharing. Even though your mother taught you to share, there are times when it’s better (and healthier) to be greedy. Never share razors, towels, shoes, socks or other items that may contact areas of the body infected with unwanted warts. Even at the gym, it’s a good idea to use your own personal towel.

  • Stay clean and dry. As with all germs and viruses, it’s essential to keep your body — especially wart-prone areas like feet and fingers — clean and dry. Wear moisture wicking socks, and avoid exposing feet to viruses that may be lurking in showers, locker rooms and pools. And don’t forget to wash your hands with soap several times a day, especially after using shared equipment at the gym. Finally, when lathering up in the shower, don’t forget about your feet.

  • Take care of cuts and scrapes. Open wounds offer the perfect point of entry for HPV. Take good care of abrasions or broken skin on the feet and hands, keeping them covered and free from germs.

Waging war on warts

In the battle against warts, there are many effective approaches. These include:

• Natural. Although some warts may disappear without treatment, many experts agree that one of the best ways to remove a wart is to trick the body into recognizing it as a foreign body, thereby triggering a natural healing process.

  • Tape occlusion. Tape occlusion is an easy, non-invasive method for treating warts. According to several smaller studies, it’s an effective option, reports the American Academy of Family Physicians. In 2002, a randomized control trial found that duct tape was more effective in treating common warts than cryotherapy (freezing the warts) and had fewer side effects.

  How does tape occlusion work? It involves nothing more than adhesive tape (such as duct tape) and time. First, tightly cover the offending wart with a piece of tape. Then, after three to five days, remove the tape and leave the skin exposed to air for one day. Repeat this process for up to two months or until the wart disappears.

• Over the counter. If your wart doesn’t clear up on its own, consider an over-the-counter treatment.

  • Salicylic acid. Look for wart removal treatments that contain salicylic acid. According to Caroline Rea, R.N., on Yahoo! Health, salicylic acid works in several ways: It softens skin layers so the wart can be removed with a pumice stone and irritates it, which is believed to activate an immune response and fight HPV. Currently, there’s no evidence showing that cryotherapy is a more effective treatment than salicylic acid, Rea writes. Pedinol Sal-Plant Gel treats common and plantar warts. Use on a daily basis for up to two weeks.

  • Aerosol. According to MedicineNet, over-the-counter aerosol sprays are an effective at-home option for wart removal. These sprays freeze warts at a temperature that’s less extreme than similar clinical treatments at your doctor’s office.

• Clinical. If at-home options offer little relief, a dermatologist can perform more aggressive treatments, including freezing, burning, cutting and laser removal.

  • Cryotherapy. This standard in-office treatment involves freezing a wart, often with the use of liquid nitrogen. The application and removal typically lasts less than a minute, but according to Mayo Clinic, you may need up to four visits to complete the treatment. Freezing typically leaves little scarring but can be painful for up to three days following the procedure.

  • Electrosurgery and curettage. These two procedures are often used together to treat warts. First, electrosurgery employs an electric current to burn the wart. Then, curettage involves cutting the remaining wart off with a knife or spoon-shaped tool. These treatments can be painful and may leave a small scar, so it’s often used after other treatments have failed.

  • Laser surgery. Laser surgery uses a laser, or intense beam of light, to burn and destroy the wart tissue. It’s typically done at a clinic, where your doctor may choose to use anesthesia depending on the number of warts to be removed. Keep in mind that laser surgery may leave a scar.

  • Cantharidin. When brushed onto the wart by a dermatologist, this chemical causes the skin under the wart to blister. Once it dries, your dermatologist can clip off the wart along with the dead, blistered skin.

  • Bleomycin. If other treatments fail, your doctor may inject the wart with a medication called bleomycin in order to kill the virus. Bleomycin in higher doses is used as a cancer treatment and is often a last option for warts as it’s expensive and can be painful.

  • Immunotherapy. During immunotherapy, the doctor injects the wart with chemicals that trigger your immune system to destroy HPV. Because some of the substances used for immunotherapy are expensive, have more risks and require specialized handling, this treatment is used for severe and treatment-resistant warts.

Which treatment is right for me?

When deciding on your treatment, keep the following factors in mind and bring up any questions or concerns to your doctor:

• Scarring
• Pain
• Cost
• Duration of treatment

Even if you’re trying at-home treatments, consult a doctor as certain medications or conditions, including pregnancy, can influence which treatment is right for you.

Will warts return?

According to Family Doctor, the American Academy of Family Physicians’ online health resource, treatment of warts in combination with a healthy immune system usually ensures that they won’t return. But if they do come back, talk to your doctor about other treatments.

Avoid a mistaken identity

If a wart is tender, bleeds easily or changes color dramatically, schedule an appointment with a doctor right away. It’s possible to mistake warts for more serious growths that may require immediate medical care.