What are warts?
Warts are benign (noncancerous) growths that can develop on your skin and mucosa (like inside your mouth). The human papilloma virus (HPV) causes warts. There are over 100 subtypes (strains) of HPV, but only a few types can cause warts on certain parts of your body.
Warts are generally harmless, but they can be bothersome and sometimes painful.
Types of warts
Healthcare providers classify warts based on how they look, the HPV strain (type) that causes them, and/or what parts of your body they affect:
- Common warts (Verrucca vulgaris): Common warts typically appear on your hands. They most often feel like rough bumps and can have black dots that look like seeds. The black dots are actually smothered and dead capillaries. They range from the size of a pinhead to the size of a pea. HPV types 2 and 4 (most common) cause common warts in addition to types 1, 3, 7, 27, 29 and 57.
- Planter warts: Planter warts typically form on your feet, especially the soles (plantar surface) of your feet. They’re often flat or grow inward and can have black dots. They can become quite large and cause pain when you stand or walk. HPV types 1, 2, 4, 27 and 57 cause plantar warts.
- Mosaic warts: These warts are white and about the size of a pinhead. They typically form on the balls of your feet or under your toes. But they can spread and cover larger areas of your foot. Mosaic warts are flatter than plantar warts, and they only rarely hurt when you walk. HPV type 2 causes mosaic warts
- Flat warts: These warts can develop anywhere on your body. They’re smaller and smoother than other warts and tend to grow in large numbers, like 20 to 100 at a time. HPV types 3, 10 and 28 cause flat warts
- Filiform warts: These warts look like long threads that stick out. They often grow on your face — around your mouth, eyes and nose. HPV types 1, 2, 4, 27 and 29 cause filiform warts.
- Genital warts: These warts affect your genitals and rectum (anal warts). It’s a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that gets passed through skin-to-skin contact. Genital warts are small, hard nodules with rough surfaces. HPV types 6 and 11 cause about 90% of genital warts.
- Butcher’s warts: These warts tend to develop on the hands of people who handle raw meat (like butchers) and those whose occupation involves frequent exposure to a cold, moist environment. HPV type 7 causes Butcher’s warts.
- Focal epithelial hyperplasia (Heck’s disease): This is a rare condition in which warts develop inside your mouth (on the mucosa). The warts are generally soft and whiteish to mucosal-colored. HPV types 13 and 32 cause Heck’s disease.
Difference between warts and skin tags
Warts are caused by a viral infection and are often rough and bumpy in texture, while skin tags are soft, fleshy growths that usually occur in areas where the skin rubs against itself or clothing. Although skin tags are not likely to cause pain or discomfort.
Symptoms and Causes
What does a wart look like?
Warts vary in appearance based on the type. They may look:
- Dome-shaped.
- Flat.
- Rough.
- Bumpy or cauliflower-like.
- Smooth.
- Thread- or finger-like.
- Skin-colored, brown, grey or black.
- Like they have small black or brownish dots.
They range in size from 1 millimeter to a couple of centimeters. You may have just one wart or several in the same area.
You may be able to identify a wart by yourself. But if you’re unsure about a new skin growth, you should see your healthcare provider.
What causes warts?
Certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) cause warts. The virus can enter your skin through small cuts and cause extra cell growth. The outer layer of your skin turns thicker and harder, forming a wart. Warts are more likely to infect moist and soft skin or injured skin.
All warts come from HPV, but not all forms of HPV cause warts. The type of HPV that can progress to cancer (like cervical cancer) doesn’t cause warts.
Are warts contagious?
Yes, warts are contagious because HPV is contagious.
Warts can spread through direct or indirect contact. Direct contact would be touching someone else’s wart or skin-to-skin contact. An example of indirect contact is using objects like towels or razors that have come into contact with a wart or HPV.
Prevention
How can I prevent warts?
There’s no surefire way to prevent warts. But you can lower your risk of picking up the virus that causes them by taking these steps:
- Don’t touch another person’s wart.
- Don’t share towels, washcloths, clothing, nail clippers, razors or other personal items.
- Don’t bite your nails or pick at cuticles.
- Keep your skin moisturized (not dry and cracked) and protect cuts. HPV can easily enter cracked or broken skin.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about the HPV vaccine (it’s typically for kids and young adults), and use condoms to prevent genital warts.
- Wear flip-flops or shoes when using a public locker room, pool area or showers.
If you have a wart, do the following to help keep it from spreading:
- Cover it with a bandage.
- Try not to scratch, cut or pick at it.
- Wash your hands immediately after you touch it.
- Avoid shaving over the wart.
- Keep your feet dry to prevent the spread of plantar warts.
Role of homeopathy in treating warts
Homeopathy is often used as a complementary treatment for various conditions, including warts. In homeopathy, the approach to treating warts involves selecting a remedy based on the individual’s overall constitution, symptoms, and the specific characteristics of the warts.
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