People often wait for warts to go away on their own, but warts are highly contagious, so rather than wait, contact Dr. Daniel Marshall at Alpine Dermatology Clinic in Rexburg and Idaho Falls, Idaho, as well as the satellite locations in Arco and Driggs, Idaho. Dr. Marshall and his team are experts in multiple procedures that make it quick and easy to eliminate warts, even those that resist treatment.
request an appointmentWhat are warts?
Warts are small, rough growths on your skin caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They’re often flesh-colored, but they can be white, pink, or tan and may have tiny dark spots in the center, which are clotted blood vessels.
Common warts: These warts appear on the fingers, hands, and face.
Plantar warts: They’re the same as common warts but they appear on the soles of feet. They often grow in clusters and can be quite painful if the wart presses on a nerve.
Flat warts: Smaller and smoother than other warts, but 20-100 occur at one time. While they can be anywhere on the body, they usually appear on the face in children, on women’s legs, and in the beard area of men.
Filiform warts: Similar to common warts but thin threads grow out of the wart. They tend to develop on the face.
Are warts contagious?
Warts are easy to pass from one person to the next. This can happen through direct contact with the person. For example, you might shake hands with someone who has a wart on their finger. The virus also travels on objects, so you may be at risk if you share a towel or a phone with an infected person. Plantar warts are commonly spread at swimming pools and community showers, or if you walk around in bare feet in the dirt, where the virus can live.
Warts are common in children and teens because they’re more likely to have direct contact. But remember that a wart can’t develop unless the virus can get into your skin through a cut or scrape. After the virus invades, it infects the top layer of skin and grows to become a wart.
How are warts treated?
Considering the fact that warts are so contagious, it’s safer to make an appointment to have them removed by Dr. Marshall rather than waiting for them to disappear or using less effective over-the-counter treatments. The doctor often removes warts using cryosurgery, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart. He may also use electrosurgery, cut or scrape it off, or inject it with medicine that stimulates the immune system. If your wart resists treatment, Dr. Marshall may consider using a chemical peel.