Got Questions About Wart Removal?

Warts are common skin lesions that we frequently treat at our St. Alban’s skin clinic. Although warts can vanish on their own, this can take a long time and may spread to other parts of the body and to other people. Many don’t like the appearance of their warts, and some find them bothersome if they’re in a place that recurrently catches on things, so they seek treatment for wart removal. 

Below we’ve answered some of the questions we’re often asked, either on the phone or during consultations, including tips on how to stop warts from spreading as well as the types of treatment you can have for your warts. 

What Does A Wart Look Like?

A small fleshy bump, that is rough to touch and may have a pattern of very small black dots. They are commonly skin coloured, brown, black, or grey. 

Are Warts Contagious?

Yes, warts are contagious if you have skin-to-skin contact or if you touch a surface that has been contaminated; you’re more likely to catch them if your skin is broken or wet, which is why places like swimming pools can be hot spots. 

Why Do I Have A Wart On My Finger?

Warts are commonly found on your hands and fingers; this is a body part that isn’t often covered up and we constantly use them to touch things, so it’s no wonder that fingers are likely to get infected when they come into contact with warts or contaminated objects, particularly if we have a hangnail, cut, or are prone to biting the nail and skin around it. 

Where Do Warts Come From?

Warts are not cancerous. Warts are caused when the HPV virus (human papillomavirus) enters the skin, usually via a break or cut. This virus causes a hard protein, called keratin, to be excessively produced and this results in rough bumps forming. 

How Does A Wart Spread?

Warts can be spread to other parts of the body, or between people, through:

• Direct contact with a wart or a surface that’s been contaminated by the HPV virus.
• Sexual intercourse with someone who’s infected. These are known as genital warts and is a different type of virus to the other types of HPV that cause warts. It is not possible to catch genital warts from someone who has a wart on their hand.
• Picking and scratching your wart and then touching other body parts can spread them to those areas and other people.
• Shaving can spread warts to other body parts because the razor can become contaminated and break the skin in another area of your body and infect it.

How To Prevent Spreading Warts?

• After exposure, it can take up to six months for the wart(s) to develop. To help stop the risk of warts spreading, some good advice would be to:
• Refrain from sharing personal objects such as baths and hand towels to stop cross-contamination.
• Clean all surfaces that warts come in contact with, then wash and dry your hands thoroughly.
• Wear shoes/flip-flops in public areas like the gym showers. You can buy ‘verruca’ swimming socks if you go to a swimming pool.
• Avoid picking your warts.
• Wash your hands regularly and dry them.
• Avoid touching other people’s warts and don’t allow them to touch yours.
• If you have cuts or scratches, disinfect them and keep them clean and dry.  

How Do You Diagnose A Wart?

Warts can be diagnosed by a skin specialist or your GP usually by sight, however, they may require a sample of the growth to test it for HPV. It is worth bearing in mind that although warts are not cancerous, there are some skin cancers that can resemble warts so it’s important to get a diagnosis to rule out anything suspicious. 

What Is Wart Removal?

Warts can disappear on their own if your immune system can fight the virus that is causing it. Nevertheless, it can take years for warts to go naturally, and many people choose to treat their warts because they don’t like how they look or the risk of spreading them and, in some cases, warts can be painful (warts that grow on your feet can feel like you’re walking on pebbles). 

There are professional treatments you can have and treatments you can do yourself, at home.

At-Home Wart Removal

This type of wart removal can be bought over the counter and a pharmacist can offer you advice should you need it. Over-the-counter treatments often work by slowly dissolving each layer of the wart at a time. 

This type of tends to be cheaper than treatment from a private dermatologist but you may need to treat your warts every day for a number of months to rid yourself of them.

In-Clinic Wart Removal

The NHS may or may not offer some types of treatment for your warts depending on the area you live in and where the wart is located on your body. There are a number of wart removal options privately including freezing, laser, and minor surgery.

When to seek professional help for your wart:

• To get a diagnosis.
• If multiple warts appear; it may indicate that your immune system is not behaving as it should.
• If you’re bothered or distressed by your warts.
• If your warts interfere with your daily activities. 
• At-home wart removal treatment hasn’t worked.
• The warts are painful.
• Your warts change in appearance.
• Warts spread.
• A wart bleeds.

What Type of Wart Removal Do We Offer at Our St Albans Dermatologist Clinic?

We offer wart removal for common warts at our clinic. If you are seeking treatment for genital warts, your GP is the best starting point. 

Our methods of wart removal include: 

•  Laser treatment. The Regenlite pulsed-dye laser helps to cut off the blood supply to the wart, so the tissue dies, and the hard, thick skin flattens off and starts to look normal again. Additionally, Regenlite stimulates the immune system so, so clinical studies have shown, that often treating one wart when a person has multiplied can help resolve other untreated warts.
• Minor surgery. There are a few surgical methods used, a common one used in our CQC registered minor ops theatre is curettage and cauterisation.

If you are considering wart removal with a St Albans Dermatologist, we would be pleased to consult with you to assess your skin lesion and discuss treatment options. Please contact us to arrange your consultation. 

Disclaimer: This blog is not to be used for diagnostic purposes. We are all unique which means that our results, recovery and suitability for any type of treatment will vary. Always seek the advice of a professional should you have any health or cosmetic concerns or to discuss treatments specifically for you.