Written by Team Maelove
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June 17, 2023
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6 min read
Warts are common, generally harmless skin growths caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Usually painless, they can itch or hurt — particularly when they appear on your feet. Here's what you need to know about how they spread, the different types, and how to treat and prevent them.
Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
KEY INSIGHT
Wart viruses are contagious and can spread by contact with the wart or something that touched the wart — such as a towel.
They transmit more easily if there is a disruption to the skin barrier, such as scrapes and cuts or dry, cracked skin.
Anyone can get warts but some people are more prone than others. This includes children and teens who have more scrapes and cuts, people who bite their nails, and people with a weakened immune system such as those with HIV (AAD). Meat handlers may also get warts on their hands — called a butcher's wart.
DID YOU KNOW
In children, warts often go away without treatment. In adults, warts do not disappear as easily or quickly and can take years. Over-the-counter medication or a dermatologist can treat warts in these instances.
THE TYPES
Types of Warts
There are many different types of warts based on where they occur on the body and their appearance (AAD, Mt. Sinai, Harvard Health Publishing). The two most commonly seen are common warts and plantar warts.
Common Warts
Usually appear on the fingers, around the nails, and on the backs of hands. More common when skin is broken — as in nail biters. Can also appear on elbows and knees. They often have black dots that look like seeds, which are from blood vessels feeding the wart, and most have rough bumps. In children, common warts may appear on the face from touching and spreading from the hands.
Plantar Warts (Foot Warts)
Found on the soles of feet and can be painful — like having pebbles in your shoes. They can grow in clusters, have black dots from tiny blood vessels, and often grow inward due to the pressure placed on them, making them appear flattened.
Flat Warts
Often found on the face and forehead. Most commonly seen in children, but can occur in adults. Men tend to get them in the beard area; women often get them on the legs from shaving scrapes. They are smaller and smoother than other warts and tend to grow in large numbers.
Filiform Warts
Look like long threads or thin fingers that stick out. They often grow on the face — around the mouth, eyes, and nose — and on the neck.
Genital Warts
Found on the genitals, in the pubic area, and in the space between the thighs. They can also appear inside the vagina and the anal canal. When they appear on the cervix they are called cervical warts and can develop into cervical cancer in women. Get a regular PAP smear to screen for precancerous lesions in the cervix. An HPV vaccine against genital warts is also available.
IMPORTANT
Some skin cancers can look like warts. Get any suspicious wart checked out by a doctor.
TREATMENT
Treatment Options
Even without treatment, warts may disappear in months or years on their own — your immune system is to thank for this. Over-the-counter medications can remove most warts, but you do not want to treat warts on your face and genitals yourself. For those, you should see a doctor. Genital warts are treated differently from most other warts.
A. Home and Over-the-Counter Treatments
Salicylic Acid
The most common type of wart-removal medicine. According to Mount Sinai, you'll need to apply it to the wart every day for several weeks or months. It helps to first file the wart down when it's damp (for example, after a bath or shower) before applying the medicine. Afterwards, cover the wart with a bandage.
Over-the-Counter Cryotherapy Kits
Used to freeze off the wart. May require multiple treatments and can cause discomfort. Follow the directions carefully and avoid freezing the surrounding skin.
Home Remedies (e.g., Duct Tape)
Generally harmless, though studies conflict on whether these really help get rid of warts. Some people believe folk remedies and hypnosis work, but there isn't evidence to confirm this — or to rule out that the wart simply went away on its own.
B. Dermatologist-Led Treatments
Some warts may need to be surgically removed or frozen. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends the following procedures:
1
Cantharidin (Blistering Solution)
Application of a blistering solution that causes the skin to blister and lift the wart away. In about a week, you return to the dermatologist who clips away the dead wart.
2
Cryotherapy (Freezing)
For common warts, this is the most common dermatologist-administered treatment. Repeat treatments are often needed.
3
Electrosurgery and Curettage (Burning)
A good treatment for common warts, filiform warts, and plantar warts. After burning, the wart is scraped off with a sharp knife or spoon-shaped tool (curettage).
4
Excision (Cutting)
Surgical cutting out of the wart, typically reserved for cases where other treatments have not been effective.
If Warts Are Very Hard to Treat
Laser Treatment
Used for stubborn warts that have not responded to other methods.
Chemical Peels
For flat warts when many warts appear at once, a peeling method is used. Peeling medicines include prescription-strength salicylic acid, tretinoin, and glycolic acid.
Bleomycin
Warts are injected with the anti-cancer medicine bleomycin.
Immunotherapy
Used when the wart remains despite other treatments. A chemical is applied to the wart that causes an allergic reaction, which helps the wart go away.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Preventing Warts
The HPV virus is very prevalent, so it's hard to prevent warts altogether. Since warts are contagious, preventing them is largely about stopping the spread of HPV (Mt. Sinai, AAD, Harvard Health Publishing).
Cover Existing Warts
Cover any wart you have so it doesn't spread to other parts of your body or to other people. Do not shave over a wart — this causes microtears in the skin that allow the wart to spread.
Practice Good Hand Hygiene
Do not pick or scratch your own warts or touch someone else's wart. Wash your hands carefully after touching a wart. Wash any nail file you use to file a wart to avoid spreading the virus to other parts of your body.
Protect Cuts and Scrapes
Clean and cover cuts and scrapes promptly — this makes it harder for the virus to enter the body. Avoid picking at or biting your nails, as this can create openings for the virus.
Moisturize Your Skin
Prevent dry, cracking skin by keeping your skin moisturized. Cracks in the skin give HPV an easier path in.
Protect Your Feet
Wear flip-flops or pool shoes in public showers, locker rooms, and pool areas. Keep your feet dry, as moisture tends to allow warts to spread. Wearing socks or shoes can help prevent plantar warts.
HPV Vaccine & Genital Wart Prevention
Children and young adults can get the HPV vaccine to prevent future genital warts. In adults, use condoms to reduce transmission of genital warts.
