You’ve heard the wives’ tale — pick up a toad, get warts.
Actually, you could pick up a toad every day and never get a wart. Their bumpy skin isn’t covered with warts, although the bumps kind of look like they are. And think of the famed princess who kisses one! Nope, she won’t get warts either.
But if you borrow a towel from someone with a wart, that could get you one. Or if you touch the wart of a friend you could get one.
Other times, you simply get one because you came across the human papilloma virus somewhere else. Most warts usually go away on their own within months or years, but in some cases, you’ll want the experts at Profile MD to get rid of them. You don’t want to count on your Fairy Godmother!
What causes a wart to form?
Warts are skin growths that are caused by a virus, the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus usually infects a person through an area of broken skin. HPV causes the top layer of the skin to grow rapidly; that’s why warts rise above the height of the rest of the normal skin.
Different types of warts
Common warts — Often seen on the hands and arms, common warts are dome-shaped, rough, and grayish-brown in color.
Plantar warts — These grow on the soles of the feet. They are thick, hard patches of skin that cause pain when walking, similar to stepping on a pebble.
Flat warts — These are small warts with flat tops that are candy pink, brown, or yellowish in color. They grow on the face, arms, and legs.
Filliform warts — These skin-colored warts appear to have threadlike growths sticking out of them. They grow around the mouth, nose, or in a beard.
Periungular warts — These warts are uneven and look like rough bumps. They grow under the toenails and fingernails and affect nail growth.
How do warts spread?
Warts can spread from one person to another quite easily. Simply touching another person’s wart can spread the HPV. Also, sharing towels or razors and such can spread them. After infection, warts can take months to actually development.
Getting rid of warts
Most warts don’t require any treatment, as the virus simply runs it course eventually. But if they cause pain, are spreading to other parts of the body, or bother the person, they can be removed. Home treatments can use salicylic acid, but have mixed success because the concentration isn’t usually strong enough. Others swear that duct tape gets rid of warts.
At Profile MD we use PulseDye Laser treatment to get rid of warts. This treatment is more comfortable that freezing, cutting, or using acids. The PulseDye Laser works by cutting off the blood supply to the wart, which causes the wart to dry up and fall off.
So, now that you’ve landed that prince, maybe you should get rid of that wart.
Call us at Profile MD, 410-544-4600, for an appointment.
