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Nearly anyone can get warts, but some risk factors increase your potential to develop one or more skin growths. For example, a weakened immune system can increase susceptibility, such as undergoing chemotherapy or taking immunosuppressive drugs to treat other health conditions.
Skin injuries offer an entry point for the virus that causes warts, including hangnails, cuts, scrapes, eczema, and psoriasis. Children are more likely to develop warts because their immune systems are not fully developed. People with existing warts are more likely to get warts in other areas of the body. There are measures you can take for wart removal in Orange County.
Warts are small growths on the skin that appear after exposure to a virus in the human papillomavirus family. This virus triggers your body to grow extra cells in the area. The area becomes thick and hardened on that spot, which you see as warts.
Warts affect approximately 10% of the population and are seen more in school-age children. There are several types of warts, but the two most common types are common warts and plantar warts. Common warts typically appear on your hands and feel like rough bumps with black dots in the center.
Plantar warts typically show up on your feet. These grow flat or inward and can cause pain when you walk. In general, warts are non-cancerous or benign. They can be bothersome and affect your self-image and self-confidence when they grow large or are visible. Everyone’s immune system responds differently to viruses, so not everyone who contracts human papillomavirus will develop warts.
Cosmetic dermatologists may offer several options to help remove warts on your hands or body. While warts are benign and common, most people like them removed. They can be bothersome and bleed easily when they are bumped or injured. The following are types of wart removal available in Orange County.
Prescription topical treatments help stimulate your immune system and directly attack the wart virus. Common tip topical treatments include salicylic acid that removes the top layers of the ward. Another option is cantharidin, which causes the wart tissue to blister, or retinoids, which disrupt cell growth. Prescription medications are used when over-the-counter treatments have failed.
This treatment method uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy tissue. While the treatment is aimed at warts, it can also freeze and destroy any tissue, so it is important to use only in the hands of an experienced healthcare professional like Dr. Lenore Sikorski. Liquid nitrogen is typically used to target wart removal. It is minimally invasive, quick, and has a minimal recovery. Liquid nitrogen is generally well tolerated, and the only side effects include temporary redness, swelling, and blistering in the area where the skin is frozen.
Electrotherapy, also called electrosurgery, treats warts by applying an electric current to the area. A high-frequency electric current is used to cut, burn, or coagulate the wart tissue, thus effectively destroying it. Local anesthesia is usually needed to minimize discomfort. Electrotherapy is often used when other treatments have failed to produce the expected results. The treatment is usually quick and immediately removes the wart, but the side effects may include scarring, infection, and discomfort.
Laser treatments use a focused beam of light to destroy wart tissue. They are also usually used for stubborn warts that have not responded to conventional treatments like topical medications or cryotherapy. The laser generates intense heat that vaporizes the tissue. Local anesthesia is used to minimize the discomfort. This treatment is precise and has minimal damage to the surrounding tissue. However, most people experience pain, redness, and swelling at the treatment site.
Physically cutting out the wart using a scalpel or other surgical tool is reserved for warts that continue to reappear, are resistant to treatments, or are particularly large. Local anesthesia is required to reduce pain, and the wound is usually closed with stitches. The treatment can be highly effective but can cause scar tissue and increase the risk of infection. Post-surgical care is crucial to minimize complications.
There are over 100 strains of human papillomavirus. In many cases, your body can fight the virus, and some types of warts disappear naturally over one to three years. They can last longer in adults; some never go away naturally.
Most people would rather treat their warts than wait several years to see if they go away. You can take several steps at home that may or may not be successful. Over-the-counter salicylic acid is available without a prescription. However, the wart removal concentrations you receive from Dr. Sikorski in Orange County will be higher. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle for application and do not stop the treatment for at least one week until after the work goes away.
Some people have good results using a low-risk, low-tech duct tape approach. Cover the work with duct tape and leave it on overnight for about 30 days. Or, you can put duct tape over the wart for five to seven days, then replace it until the wart disappears. Why duct tape works is unclear, and it only works for some warts.
Warts are a noncancerous skin growth caused by the human papillomavirus. While they are not dangerous, they are common, and they can also cause aesthetic concerns, especially when they appear on your hands or your face. We encourage you to call our office and schedule your consultation with Dr. Sikorski to learn more about wart removal in Orange County.
Dr. Sikorski offers cosmetic & dermatology procedures to patients in all Orange County communities. We provide facelifts, neck lifts, blepharoplasty, CoolSculpting, and other surgical and nonsurgical procedures. Schedule your cosmetic dermatology consultation today!