Warts And All, But No Frogs, Please!
- Posted on: Aug 15 2016
Warts are common. Everybody has had one or a few – and just so you know, they aren’t caused by touching frogs. If you are curious about warts, their cause, how they spread and how they are treated read on:
What is a wart and how is it spread? A wart is basically a skin growth that is caused by one type of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus usually enters the body in an area of broken skin, infecting the top-most layer. The virus causes this layer to grow fast, forming a wart.
•Common warts can grow anywhere on the body, most commonly on the hands.
•Plantar warts grow on the soles of the feet.
Most warts disappear on their own. They grow slowly but they spread easily by direct contact with HPV. You can even infect yourself by touching the wart and then touching another part of your body. Sharing razors or towels can spread the virus to other people.
Warts come in various sizes and shapes. They may be flat and smooth or a rough-surfaced bump. A doctor can tell if a skin growth is a wart, sometimes just by looking at it. A biopsy may be taken to rule out skin cancer, especially if the wart looks unusual, bleeds or is large and fast growing.
Most common warts don’t need special treatment. But if you have a wart that seems to be spreading, painful, or you are bothered by it’s location or how it looks, there are treatment choices. You may choose to use an over-the-counter wart treatment containing salicylic acid. DIY wart treatments don’t always work, however. Even after a wart shrinks or goes away, it may come back or spread to other parts of the body. Why? Because most treatments destroy the wart but don’t kill the virus.
Dr. Quintana specializes in treating warts by:
•Freezing the wart (cryotherapy)
•Removing the wart with surgery or laser surgery
Don’t continue to suffer with unsightly warts. Dr. Quintana’s treatments are fast and easy. Call to schedule an appointment, today: (212) 391-8600.
Posted in: General Dermatology
