What Are Warts?

Warts are very tiny firm bumps on the skin that are caused by viruses from the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. They are very contagious and are commonly found in school-aged children, but rarely occur in children under the age of 2 years.

Skin warts are small dome-shaped, with a rough appearance and with a yellow, tan, black, brown, or gray coloring. These can appear anywhere on the body but most often can show up on:

• Hands
• Near or under the fingernails
• Toes
• Feet, top or bottom
• Knee Area

Ones that form soles of our feet are often flat and painful and may feel like you are walking on a pebble. These have the opportunity to manifest into plantar warts. This type can have tiny black dots on them and if left untreated will become very painful and potentially disabling.

What Causes Warts?

Human papillomaviruses are extremely contagious and spread by close physical contact. This virus often gets into the body through small openings or cuts in the skin. Any public facilities where you are physically interacting with a shared surface can create the opportunity for contracting warts. Areas like public pools, public showers or locker rooms, public bathrooms, and the like. The other cause is direct contact with someone who has them.

What Treatment Options Are Available?

They will not “go away” on their own without any type of treatment. They can become painful, create an embarrassing situation, and pose a potentially dangerous/contagious health risk for children as well as adults.

We have many treatment options available at our office to help with this condition such as prescription-strength chemicals, cryotherapy, and advanced microwave treatments. If you or your child has multiple warts and they keep coming back, we encourage you to make an appointment with one of our highly skilled doctors so they can evaluate your specific condition and recommend the best treatment plan for you.”

Localized cryotherapy – this is a very common treatment for smaller, less developed, or isolated warts.

Topical acid therapy – This is a ‘do it at home’ form of treatment, it’s still recommended you consult a professional to ensure the wart has been completely removed

In-Office Microwave Treatment Wart Removal (Swift Microwave Therapy)

This newest technology utilizes microwaves to heat the lesions quickly and stimulate an immune response that will eradicate the wart. The treatment takes 10 seconds total, causing little to no discomfort, and does not require any home wound care or medication application. The procedure is done a total of 3 times spaced 4 weeks apart. Initial anecdotal evidence shows this procedure to be superior to others regarding the permanent removal of warts.

Remove Unsightly Warts And Stop Them From Spreading

Depending on where your warts are, they can be embarrassing, annoying, or in some cases painful. It’s important to remember that warts are contagious, and getting them removed is a benefit to you and those around you! Call or book a consultation online to get your warts examined and explore your treatment options.