All warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and can be spread from one person to another or from one part of the body to another. Common warts are harmless, do not cause pain and often fade away in 2 years. Plantar warts that appear on the sole of the foot do cause pain, as the wart is pushed into the foot when walking; other types of warts are flat and grow in large numbers, with as many as 100 warts in a cluster. Dermatological wart removal procedures speed the healing process and effectively eliminate unsightly growths.
The Facts
Warts are small, noncancerous skin growths that are the result of a viral infection of the top skin. These growth often disappear on their own, but can be embarrassing to the person who has them. Consult a dermatologist for warts that linger, reoccur or present pain; several wart removal procedures are available, including medication, cryotherapy, electrocautery and laser treatment.
Medication
Prescription medications tp combat the wart-causing virus are available from a dermatologist. Topical medications are also effective in removing warts and include salicylic acid gel and cantharidin. Immunotherapy may also be suggested as treatment; in one such procedure, patients are made allergic to a chemical that the dermatologist then uses to paint the wart and cause an allergic reaction around the affected area of skin, which leads to the warts fading. Interferon can also be injected directly into warts to cause the body's immune system to reject the growth so that it disappears at a faster rate.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is the preferred dermatological wart removal procedure for adults and older children. A probe containing liquid nitrogen freezes the wart and destroys its tissue. This procedure minimizes pain, bleeding and the potential for scarring, but can be an inconvenient option because the treatment may need to be repeated at weekly intervals to fully destroy the wart.
Electrocautery
An alternative to cryotherapy is electrocautery, another common treatment used in dermatology. This procedure is routinely used in the removal of unwanted tissue on the body by using a small probe with an electric current to burn away the wart. Electrocautery reduces the risk of bleeding during wart removal.
Laser Therapy
Warts that are resistant to other removal treatments may require laser therapy; this procedure uses a laser to burn away the wart, vaporizing its tissue. The dermatologist will apply or inject a local anesthetic to reduce and control pain before beginning the procedure. Laser therapy is an expensive wart removal treatment.
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