Warts

What are warts?

Warts are fleshy bumps that appear in response to a viral infection in your skin. The virus that causes warts is called human papillomavirus (HPV) and is transmissible through sexual contact or openings or cuts in your skin. 

The feet are particularly prone to warts. When warts appear on the soles of your feet, they’re called plantar warts. They often show up after you go barefoot in a place where many other people do the same, like public pools or locker rooms. The hands and genitals are also common places to get warts, though you can get a wart anywhere on the skin. 

Warts eventually go away on their own, but it can take a long time. Since they’re contagious not only to other people but also to other areas of your skin, it can be very inconvenient to live with a wart. Dermatology Associates of Western Pennsylvania offers several treatments that may help you get rid of your wart faster. 

What do warts look like?

Warts have some variance in their appearances. A wart can have different colors and elevations, with warts on the soles of the feet typically being flush against your skin while others are raised. 

Warts can have:

• Rough surfaces
• Fleshy surfaces
• Brown tones
• Yellow tones
• Gray tones
• Black dots (which are actually blood vessels)

If you’re unsure whether a growth is a wart, the team at Dermatology Associates of Western Pennsylvania provides a skin examination. This is usually enough to make a diagnosis, but they might take a biopsy of the wart to check for HPV. 

How are warts treated?

No treatment for warts is without its setbacks, and many treatments require a few sessions to produce results. The team at Dermatology Associates of Western Pennsylvania can recommend one or more treatments for your warts to help the growths disappear and stop their spread. 

Your treatment for a wart might involve:

• Cryotherapy
• Cantharidin (blister beetle juice)
• Candida antigen injection
• Laser removal
• Surgical removal

Learn more about how warts spread and the treatments you can get for them by scheduling an appointment over the phone or online at Dermatology Associates of Western Pennsylvania today.