Like acne, warts can occur at any age, popping up when you least expect them and adding embarrassment and shame to a life that is already filled with stress. Caused by viruses and usually appearing in places you can’t hide, warts affect people who bite their nails, or those who have a weakened immune system most frequently. Just like certain people seem to catch colds all the time, a person can be prone to developing warts. So, whether you are prone to the condition, or are suffering from your first and only wart, we have created a list of wart treatments that we have found work the best; keep reading to get an idea of what your options can be!
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Preventative Measures
The most effective wart treatment is to stop them before they appear; if you’re a nail biter, stop biting your nails, and if you’re prone to developing warts, keep your hands, face, and feet (the most common places for warts to appear) clean and dry. The common wart is generally caused by HPV (human papillomavirus) and enters the skin through small cuts and scratches, so by following common hygiene practices, you are helping to keep the virus away from your skin.
Once They Appear
Visiting the Skin & Vein Center can be your best option. We treat warts of all kinds using three effective treatment methods: medication (generally a topical antifungal medicine), surgery, or cryotherapy. Medications can include retinoid creams and even immunotherapy drugs, since weakened immune systems are often a large part of the problem. Laser surgery or curettage surgery are common surgical methods, but because they leave scars and are less likely to reach the source of the problem, causing the wart to reappear, these methods are only used on warts that have been shown to be resistant to other treatments.
Cryotherapy and Warts
Perhaps the most effective of all treatments, cryotherapy also has one of the smallest chances for scarring. Unfortunately, it can be very painful, even when a numbing agent is used, but it’s also the quickest way to remove the wart, so the patient may want to consider this when deciding on this method of treatment. In cryotherapy, liquid nitrogen is applied to the wart, either by use of a cotton swab, a probe, or even by spraying on the affected area, and the wart—even the core—is destroyed, with little or no chance of reappearance.
Don’t Be Resigned to Living with Warts!
Schedule an appointment with the Skin & Vein Center today and let Dr. Wright and associates help you get to the root of the problem!
Photo By Steven Fruitsmaak – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1167096