If you have developed skin growths that look like rough bumps, in round or oval shapes, on the skin, they could be typical symptoms of warts. Warts on the skin are usually harmless and non-cancerous growths.
What are Warts?
Warts are medically termed as skin growths that erupt due to HPV or human papillomavirus strains. There are many kinds of warts such as flat warts, plantar warts, and common warts. These skin growths can occur in any body part, especially on the hands and knees. You will be surprised to know that there are more than 100 subtypes of HPV, but only some of them have the potential to cause warts in specific areas of the human body.
Types of Warts
Let us discuss the types of warts caused by the HPV strain:
Verruca Vulgaris-
These common warts appear as hard and raised lump-like formations with jagged edges. The most affected parts of the body are the knees and hands.
Verruca Plana-
They look like flat and smooth lumps. Symptoms of flat warts mostly affect the face, lower legs, and hands areas.
Filiform Warts –
These warts appear as long and thin threads, affecting the face (near the lips and eyelids).
Mosaic Warts –
These are a group of warts, which are solidly clustered bumps that form mainly on the soles of your feet or your hands.
Plantar Warts –
These appear as tiny and hard lumps with tiny black dots in the centre. Such warts generally target the soles of your feet.
Genital Warts –
These skin growths are sexually transmitted and look like greyish or whitish bumps with a grainy surface. These warts affect the vulva, penis, and the anal areas of the body.
Causes of Warts
All types of warts are caused by the HPV viruses. Warts start to develop when these HPV viruses attack the topmost layer of your skin. The risk of warts is more when the skin is damaged or if there are small cuts. Warts may spread faster over moist skin. They are also contagious and may infect others through direct touch or handling an object touched by an infected person. Genital warts can spread via intercourse. Warts can be contracted by teenagers, young kids, people who bite their nails often, and people with weak immune systems.
The Treatments of Warts
People with warts are known to use doctor-recommended OTC medications and medical topical creams. In 65% of cases, warts get cleared by themselves within 1 or 2 years without treatment. But, this wait-and-watch approach may not be advisable for people having multiple warts. It is better to seek medical advice on different types of treatment options and therapies tailored to work best on your warts.
There are advanced clinical therapies such as cryotherapy, immunotherapy, cryolipolysis, or RF Cautery treatment for people who have multiple warts that look very displeasing or cause itching, bleeding, pain or discomfort.
Coolsculpting or Cryolipolysis Treatment
In recent times, coolsculpting has been touted as an effective remedy to treat warts, especially for those individuals with facial warts. It is a non-invasive process that can remove skin tags and warts without any scarring. In this procedure, liquid nitrogen is used to freeze and destroy the infectious growths and they are completely eliminated at the cellular level so they won’t reappear again.
Radio Frequency Cautery Treatment
It is an advanced electro-laser treatment that transfers high-frequency energy radio waves via soft tissue to cut, separate, and remove the wart-affected tissue. A dermatologist will use a laser tool with activated electrodes to send radio waves.
You may opt for Radio Frequency Surgery treatment at Bodycraft Clinic to get rid of warts. A consultation with our expert dermatologist team can help assess your skin condition, size, shape, and site. The surgeon will employ radio wave frequency to effectively cauterise and eliminate wart growths minus any downtime. You can benefit from the no-scarring and fast-healing surgical treatment. The cost of Radio Frequency Cautery in India can vary based on several correlated factors. It is best to discuss the cost and procedure details with your consulting doctor.
Takeaway
If you have the HPV strain that results in the growth of warts, you can never tell when they may reappear. Fortunately, you can get your warts treated at a medical spa or clinic. Approaching a dermatosurgeon, who specialises in treating warts using superior surgical techniques, can give desirable results. If you are searching for an established and renowned skin clinic, Bodycraft can be your ideal choice. From laser toning to RF surgery for wart removal, you can trust Bodycraft Clinic skin experts to provide you with customised treatment plans.
FAQs Around Warts
1. What happens if warts on the skin are left untreated?
There are many varieties of warts. While some warts require surgical treatment for removal, others may disappear without undergoing any treatment course. Naturally disappearing warts can take one or two years, but with the right treatment, you can remove them faster. Some clinical techniques can eliminate warts on a cellular level so that they never appear again.
2. Are having warts bad?
While getting skin growths like warts may be embarrassing and irritating, they can be treated cosmetically. Warts do not cause any harm to the body. The type of warts called flat warts, common warts, and plantar warts are skin infections caused by a virus called HPV. If you have warts on genital areas and warts near the mouth or eyelids, they could be bad, and cause bleeding and pus formation. Such warts could be painful and must be treated quickly.
3. How long do warts last?
Warts can clear up on their own without any treatment after a long period of 2 years. The duration of time for a wart to go away naturally may also depend from person to person. In the case of young adults and adults, warts can remain on the skin for a longer time. In a recent medical study, it was noted that almost 96% of patients with warts were completely cured after they were treated with radio frequency cautery treatment.
4. Can warts go away permanently?
Today, Modern medical science has advanced to another level wherein doctors use hi-tech treatment tools like laser therapy and radio frequency surgery to treat warts and make them disappear quickly. Older citizens who contract senile warts may have to live with it. Senile warts are non-hazardous but these will remain as a permanent fixture on the skin.