What is warts?
They are small, painless and unsightly skin conditions caused by the human papilloma virus that usually appear on the face, feet, genital area and underarms. They present different forms and measures
Types of warts
- Common Wart: are the best known and are benign. At first sight, they resemble a cauliflower because of its appearance of granules acuminate. They do not have a definite shape, have a hard core, are rough to the touch and fundamentally appear on the fingers, under the nails and on the back of the hands.
- Foot wart: have a form of cauliflower, soft consistency, brown or gray color and are usually flatter because of the pressure exerted by the weight on the foot. It’s recommended to eliminate them as quickly as may be possible because of the pain and discomfort they present.
- Flat wart: they are flat, small, of smooth surface and brown/flesh color. In men they usually go out in the area of the beard, in the women in the legs and in the children in the face.
- Smooth wart: are flat and difficult to see with the naked eye. They are usually detected because presenting a different color to that of the skin. They appear on the face or the back of the hands.
- Filiform wart: Are long and thin growths that usually appear on the lips, eyelids, face or neck. If it’s detected, it’s important to visit a dermatologist quickly.
- Mosaic wart: it’s about a collection of small warts grouped in grape form.
- Genital wart: appear around the anus and the area of the genitals. They are usually transmitted through sexual contact. They have a similar shape to a cauliflower (more info here)
Who does it affect?
Children and adolescents are the most affected population focus, but it’s often one of the most frequent reasons for consultation for all ages. People with low defenses are more likely to have them because they are more vulnerable to the virus.
Symptomatology
They don’t present a medical problem. However it’s important to follow up with a specialist especially those that can be painful, unsightly or may have consequences such as genital warts.
Diagnosis
In general, the diagnosis is simple by the experienced dermatologist and is performed with the observation, palpation and/or use of the dermatoscope.
Causes
The main cause of warts is the Human Papilloma Virus. It’s known that the transmission is by direct contact with skin and it is for this reason that it’s important to avoid direct contact with other areas of our skin or the skin of other people. It’s considered a sexually transmitted disease.
Warts treatment
Treatment may vary depending on the type and number of warts, previous treatments and patient preference. Therefore the treatment is individualized for each case.
There are two treatment options that consist of:
- Topic treatment: is performed by the application of a combined preparation with keratolytics and medications. This preparation is applied daily.
- Cryotherapy: results are faster and more effective but can only be performed by a specialist.
To obtain optimal results it is advisable to combine the two treatments.