Warts: What are They and How are They Treated?

Warts: What are They and How are They Treated?

Are you wondering if that growth could actually be a wart?

While these fleshy little bumps may look unpleasant, it’s good to know that they are completely harmless. While children often develop warts due to a virus known as the human papillomavirus (HPV), adults can also develop warts, too. Our Rockville, MD, dermatologists are here to tell you more about this skin condition, treatment options and when to visit us.

What is a wart?

These skin growths appear if the outer layer of the skin has been infected by HPV. You are more likely to become infected with this virus if you have a cut or any damage to your skin. It’s important to know that warts are contagious and can spread from person-to-person.

What are the symptoms of a wart?

There are many different kinds of skin growths, so it isn’t always easy to tell whether you have a wart or not. The common wart can appear just about anywhere but is usually found on the hands or the face. If your child has a wart on their hand and then bites their nails or touches their face, the wart can spread.

Warts on the feet are known as plantar warts. These flat growths often form in clusters. Since they are most commonly found on the soles of the feet they may be painful, particularly when wearing shoes or moving.

Flat warts can also develop anywhere. Children are more likely to develop this type of wart on their face. Men may find them in or around their beards while women often notice these smooth warts on their legs.

How is a wart treated?

Fortunately, our Rockville skin doctors can easily determine whether or not you have warts just by examining the growth. You’ll be happy to know that warts often go away on their own without treatment. However, it can take up to one year or more for them to go away. Even though warts are harmless we do offer ways to have them removed.

One of the most common methods is to freeze the wart. This procedure is known as cryotherapy and only takes a few minutes. While you can buy products over-the-counter that can freeze the wart, it may not be nearly as effective as getting cryotherapy from us.

In some cases, the wart may have to be burned or cut off. If the wart is difficult to treat other treatment options include laser therapy or even chemical peels (which is more commonly used on flat warts).

Shady Grove Dermatology in Rockville, MD, is dedicated to making sure that you are comfortable in your skin. Whether acne breakouts are troubling you or you want to schedule a skin cancer screening, we are here for all of your dermatological needs.