If you see solid blisters or small, rough bumps on your skin, you should start worrying. These might be warts!
Warts are embarrassing. They commonly appear on the neck, hands, face, and fingers, but can appear in any area of the body. They are usually brownish, pink, or light yellow in color, resembling cauliflowers. They vary in sizes and shapes.
They are caused by a type of HPV or human papillomavirus, which causes excess amount of keratin. This results in fast cell growth on the outer layer of the skin. They are usually painless, but can be painful in some areas if applied with pressure.
Warts are contagious. The virus can enter the body through a broken skin. Do not share razors, socks, nail files, or towels with a person infected by warts, to prevent the virus from infecting your skin. Most warts disappear without treatment for about months or years, but this doesn’t mean you ignore them especially those causing pain and are spreading. You may seek help of a medical professional, or you may use some home treatments, depending on the type and condition of your warts.
- Salicylic acid is known to be an effective, inexpensive, and painless way to treat warts. It softens the layer of the skin affected by warts. After applying the acid, rubbing the affected skin with file, pumice stone or emery paper can help remove the warts faster. Keep in mind that salicylic should not be used if you have peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, or any other circulatory problems. If you’re not sure if the skin growth is a wart, don’t try using this treatment.
- Freezing or cryotherapy is a procedure where liquid nitrogen is sprayed to freeze a wart. It helps kill the cells of the warts, resulting in falling off of dead tissue after a few weeks. This is a fast way to treat some warts.
- If all remedies didn’t work for you, it’s better to see a doctor for a minor surgery, such as laser surgery, electrosurgery, or curettage.
To prevent growth of warts, make sure that you wash your hands regularly, cover your warts with bandage, don’t pick them, and keep your hands and feet dry as much as possible.
