Wart Removal/HPV

Warts are benign skin growths that appear when a virus infects the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called human papillomavirus (HPV). It is easier to get the virus that causes warts when you have a cut or scrape on your skin. It is common for warts to grow on the face, hands, feet and in intimate areas.

Wart viruses are contagious. Warts can spread by contact with the wart or something that touched the wart. Warts are often skin-coloured and feel rough, but they can also be dark (brown or gray-black), flat and smooth.

Warts often go away without treatment. This is especially true when children get warts. In adults, warts may not disappear as easily or as quickly as they do in children. Although most warts are harmless, dermatologists do treat them.

A dermatologist will use one of the required treatments. You should see a dermatologist if the warts do not go away on it’s own, if the warts hurt, or if you have many warts. Dermatologists have many treatments for warts. The treatment used depends on the type of wart.

There is no cure for the wart virus. This means that warts can return at the same site or appear in a new spot. Sometimes, it seems that new warts appear as fast as old ones go away. This happens when the old warts shed virus cells into the skin before the warts are treated. This allows new warts to grow around the first warts. The best way to prevent this is to have your dermatologist treat new warts as soon as they appear.