Warts: Types, Images, Treatment, and More (2024)

FAQs

How do you treat different types of warts? ›

Cryotherapy. Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy a wart. Research has shown cryotherapy effectively removes warts in 50–70% of cases after 3–4 treatments. Cryotherapy may remove warts more quickly than salicylic acid.

These treatments include salicylic acid (such as Compound W and Occlusal) or tape occlusion (such as duct tape). You don't need a prescription to use these products. Freeze the wart with a very cold liquid that can kill the virus. This is called cryotherapy.

Patients with warts may require evaluation of serum levels of vitamin B12, folate, ferritin, and vitamin D.

Skin tag. These are small, painless growths on your body that can be easily confused with warts.

Molluscum contagiosum can be mistaken for genital warts or pimples. If you notice any unusual skin lesions, it's recommended that you see your doctor or other experienced health professional for an accurate diagnosis. There is no test for molluscum contagiosum – it's diagnosed only by the appearance of the lesions.

Skin warts are growths on the skin that are caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection is common; there are different types, some of which can cause warts. The types of HPV that cause common warts, plantar warts, or flat warts are usually different from the types of HPV that cause genital warts.

What is the fastest wart killer? ›

Compound W's Maximum Strength Fast Acting Gel is formulated with 17% salicylic acid and works instantly to remove warts, which is why we chose it as our top pick.

Genital warts look like skin-colored or whitish bumps that show up on your vulva, vagin*, cervix, penis, scrotum, or anus. They kind of look like little pieces of cauliflower. You can have just one wart or a bunch of them, and they can be big or small. They might be itchy, but most of the time they don't hurt.

They're small -- from the size of a pinhead to a pea -- and feel like rough, hard bumps. They may have black dots that look like seeds, which are really tiny blood clots. Typically they show up where the skin was broken, perhaps from biting your fingernails.

Most warts will persist for one to two years if they are left untreated. Eventually, the body will recognize the virus and fight it off, causing the wart to disappear. While they remain, however, warts can spread very easily when people pick at them or when they are on the hands, feet or face.

Vinegar burns and gradually destroys the infected skin, making the wart fall off eventually, like the way salicylic acid works. The irritation caused by the acid boosts the immune system's ability to combat the virus responsible for the wart.

Warts are caused by an infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus causes an excess amount of keratin, a hard protein, to develop in the top skin layer (epidermis). The extra keratin produces the rough, hard texture of a wart.

In many cases, your immune system quickly fights off the virus long before outward signs, such as warts develop. If, however, your immune system is slow to recognize or respond to the HPV strain, you're more likely to develop warts.

You are more likely to get a wart if you are exposed to the virus through a cut or abrasion on the skin. Some immune systems are better at fighting off the HPV virus than others. That is why some people are more prone to getting warts and have a hard time with wart removal, while others seem to avoid them altogether.

A seborrheic keratosis is a noncancerous (benign) growth on the skin. It's color can range from white, tan, brown, or black. Most are raised and appear "stuck on" to the skin. They may look like warts.

What infection looks like a wart? ›

Molluscum contagiosum is an infection caused by a poxvirus (molluscum contagiosum virus). The result of the infection is usually a benign, mild skin disease characterized by lesions (growths) that may appear anywhere on the body.

Basal cell carcinoma can look like a wart or a sore.

Can you have genital warts without having HPV? No, while not all strains of HPV cause genital warts, all genital warts are caused by some strain of HPV. However, some people mistake moles, skin tags, or other sores for warts. It's best to have a healthcare provider look at them to know for sure.

Non-STD warts are warts that are not caused by sexual contact with an infected person. They are typically caused by a strain of HPV that is not related to STIs. Non-STD warts can occur anywhere on the body and are usually harmless.

In most cases (9 out of 10), HPV goes away on its own within two years without health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer. Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area.

The most common are small, hard sores called warts, but not everyone who has HPV gets them. They may be raised, flat, or shaped like a cauliflower, and they can be different sizes. They can show up on your genital area or other places, depending on the type of the virus you have. These warts often go away on their own.

No. Warts can appear after a person is infected, or you can have none at all, as the body's immune system fights the virus.

Curettage involves scraping off (curetting) the wart with a sharp knife or small, spoon-shaped tool. These two procedures often are used together. The dermatologist may remove the wart by scraping it off before or after electrosurgery. Excision: The doctor may cut out the wart (excision).

Avoid shaving over a wart.

If you shave over a wart, you'll have microtears in your wart and the skin that you shave. Through these microtears, you can spread the virus that causes warts from the wart to any skin that you shave.

A: A common wart should not bleed unless it is scraped, scratched or injured in some way. If a wart bleeds without a clear cause or bleeds profusely after injury, it is important to consult a doctor without delay.

What liquid kills warts? ›

Salicylic acid helps cause the wart to gradually peel off. This medication is also used to help remove corns and calluses. This product should not be used on the face or on moles, birthmarks, warts with hair growing from them, or genital/anal warts. Salicylic acid is a keratolytic.

Warts are usually gone in two weeks after treatment with Compound W Freeze Off®. If a wart or part of it is still there two weeks after treatment, you may then safely treat it again. Do not treat each wart with Compound W Freeze Off® more than three times in total.

The wart might fall off within 1 to 2 weeks. Continuing to use apple cider vinegar for a few days after this may prevent the skin cells that caused the previous wart from shedding and growing elsewhere.

They suggest applying a non-gel toothpaste on the wart, covering it completely with a band-aid or duct tape, and keeping it overnight. The procedure may be repeated multiple times until warts are completely removed. It is observed that toothpaste can make warts slowly dry out by cutting off the oxygen supply.

That's why it's important to protect the healthy surrounding skin. To do so, simply apply clear nail polish or petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) around the wart. Also, to enhance the action of the salicylic acid, soak your feet 5 to 15 minutes then rub the wart with a pumice stone before each application.

HPV does not always cause visible symptoms, but in some cases, it can lead to genital warts. The warts can vary in size, color, and appearance. They may look flat, raised, or have finger-like projections. One wart may be present, or clusters of bumps.

Most people with HPV — no matter what their gender is — don't have any symptoms. Sometimes HPV can cause warts on your penis or vulva and around your anus. Genital warts can cause irritation and discomfort, and you can pass the HPV that caused them to other people.

Most men who get HPV never have symptoms. The infection usually goes away by itself. But, if HPV does not go away, it can cause genital warts or certain kinds of cancer. Talk to your healthcare provider about anything new or unusual on your penis, scrotum, anus, mouth, or throat.

Definition. Multiple verrucous lesions on the skin of the palm. These lesions are raised, have a thickened and rough surface, and may display prominent black dots (thrombosed capillaries). Palmar warts are caused by caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). [ from HPO]

What color is a dying wart? ›

Also try to keep it off the normal skin. The acid will turn the wart into dead skin (it will turn white).

Yes, plantar warts can and do spread within households from direct contact. This is because the type of virus that causes warts in the feet specifically, called HPV (human papillomavirus), is a contagious virus that thrives in warm and moist places - like your shower or if sharing a pair of shoes.

Peeling medicine (salicylic acid).

For common warts, look for a 17 percent salicylic acid solution. These products (Compound W, Dr. Scholl's Clear Away Wart Remover, others) are usually used daily, often for a few weeks. For best results, soak your wart in warm water for a few minutes before applying the product.

Skin warts are growths on the skin that are caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection is common; there are different types, some of which can cause warts. The types of HPV that cause common warts, plantar warts, or flat warts are usually different from the types of HPV that cause genital warts.

A: Both common warts and plantar warts are a product of the human papillomavirus (HPV) group of viruses. Unlike plantar warts, however, common warts can develop anywhere on the body, though most typically grow on the hands and fingers. Plantar warts are found on the feet only.

Warts are caused by HPV, of which there are over 100 different types. They are most common at sites of trauma, such as the hands and feet, and probably result from inoculation of virus into minimally damaged areas of epithelium.

Cutaneous warts due to non-sexually acquired HPV resolve spontaneously in the majority of children within two years. Warts are slower to resolve in adults and may take several years. Recurrence after treatment in adjacent skin is common due to subclinical or latent infection.

These warts may be small or large, flat or raised; they may emerge singly or in a cluster and be cauliflower-shaped. They appear most often on the vulva, the outer part of a woman's genitals, and the penis. HPV infection may also cause more serious conditions, such as certain types of cancer.

HPV can clear up naturally – as there is no cure for the underlying HPV infection, the only way to get rid of HPV is to wait for the immune system to clear the virus naturally.

Is HPV with warts for life? ›

For complex cases, more treatments will probably be required. Once treated, a wart may eventually come back, as HPV is a lifelong virus. However, 70-80% of people who have had a genital wart treatment will not have a recurrence.

Are warts contagious? Warts aren't considered very contagious, but they can be caught by close skin-to-skin contact. The infection can also be transmitted indirectly from contaminated objects or surfaces, such as the area surrounding a swimming pool. You are more likely to get infected if your skin is wet or damaged.

Compound W Maximum Strength Fast Acting Gel Wart Remover

Compound W's Maximum Strength Fast Acting Gel is formulated with 17% salicylic acid and works instantly to remove warts, which is why we chose it as our top pick.

Seborrheic keratoses are harmless and not contagious. They don't need treatment, but you may decide to have them removed if they become irritated by clothing or you don't like how they look.

Can stress cause warts? Stress won't itself cause warts – that's down to the HPV virus. However, when you're under stress, your immune system's ability to fight off antigens can decrease.

Genital warts are usually a sexually transmitted disease (STD). They're caused by HPV (human papillomavirus). This virus also can cause some types of cancer.

HPV infection is very common. Sometimes HPV infection causes visible warts within a few weeks of infection, or they may take months to appear. However, many people who have been exposed to the virus do not develop visible warts because their immune system keeps the virus under control.