Common Types of Warts And Their Removal

A wart is a small growth of flesh that has a rough texture and can appear anywhere on the body. It normally looks like a solid blister or a small cauliflower. They are caused by viruses in the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. The appearance of a wart depends on a particular part of the body depends on its type and the thickness of the skin.

The most common types of wart are as follows:
1. Common warts or Verruca Vulgaris that have a cauliflower-like structure and a rough and raised surface. They are generally found on elbows, hands, and feet.
2. Plantar warts that appear on a person’s soles of feet and toes mainly due to the weight exerted by the body. They are hard to clear up.
3. Plane warts or verruca plana that are yellowish or brownish and grows on areas exposed by the sun.
4. Filiform wart or verruca filiformis are long and thin in shape and occur on eyelids, armpits, and necks.
5. A cluster of plantar warts is called mosaic warts.

1. HPV viruses cause excessive and rapid growth of keratin, a hard protein on the uppermost layer of the skin. Different strains of HPV cause different warts.
2. The HPV virus can spread to other parts of the body through contact like: • scratching or biting of a wart • sucking fingers having warts • biting fingernails where there are warts around the nails • shaving the face or legs that have warts • Having wet or damaged skin that comes into contact with rough surfaces
3. The risk or chances of catching warts from another person is low, but they can be passed on, especially from people with a compromised immune system like HIV or AIDS.

To reduce the risk of catching warts, you should do the following:
1. Do not touch another person's warts.
2. Do not use other people's items.
3. Do not scratch warts as this can cause them to spread.
4. Wear sandals while entering and exiting communal showers and pools.
5. Do not brush, comb, shave, or clip hair in those areas that have warts.
6. When filing or cutting nails do not use the same nail cutter on the infected nail and the healthy nails.
7. Do not bite fingernails if warts have grown them.
8. Keep hands as dry as possible.
9. Wash hands thoroughly after touching or treating a wart.

1. Salicylic acid
Most creams, gels, paints, and medicated bandages contain salicylic acid. Protect the skin around the wart before applying salicylic acid as it may destroy healthy skin. You can use petroleum jelly for the purpose. Do not apply to the faces. Soak the wart in water for about 5 minutes and apply the salicylic acid. This treatment is generally done for 3 months.
2. Cryotherapy
Freezing liquids like nitrogen are sprayed on the wart that destroys the cells. A blister develops which eventually falls off a week later. If the wart is large, local anesthesia is required along with several sessions. This treatment should be carried out only by a professional dermatologist.
3. Surgery
Surgery is not commonly done for warts, and there is a risk of scarring. Warts that dry and fall off by themselves do not scar. Sometimes doctors may recommend surgery if the wart is large and other treatments have not worked. After surgery, apply a topical cream to the area to improve the chances of scar clearing. Laser treatment uses a laser beam to destroy the wart.
4. Candida antigen shots
The human immune system does not recognize a wart, but if the system is locally stimulated using Candida antigen shots, then some immune cells in the area will be activated, recognize the wart and take action. This procedure leaves no scars. However, this treatment is not particularly suitable during pregnancy.
5. Duct tape
In this process, a piece of duct tape of the size same as the wart was placed on it and removed after 6 days. Next, the wart was soaked in water and rubbed with an emery board or pumice stone. The area was then left exposed until the next day. This cycle was repeated for up to 2 months.
6. Wart Sticks
Wart stick is for external use only and treats plantar warts and common warts. Wart stick contains salicylic acid, which is keratolytic and dissolves the substance holding the skin cells together.

Wart Stick Max Strength Wart Remover is a clinically proven wart stick. It contains the maximum permissible strength of salicylic acid at 40 %. Wart Stick Max Strength Wart Remover is on a dry base and does not have any unpleasant odor. It is painless, easy to use, and does not leave a scar.
The main ingredients of Wart Stick Max Strength Wart Remover are:
• Salicylic acid as the active ingredient of wart stick.
• Castor oil and chlorobutanol in a waxy base as inactive ingredients.