Warts

What are warts?

Warts are benign (noncancerous) bumps or growths on the skin. There are several types of warts, including: 

Common warts

Common warts are rough bumps that usually grow on the hands. They’re quite common in children but can appear at any age.

Filiform warts

Filiform warts are threadlike long skin growths that often appear on the face.

Flat warts

Flat warts are smaller and smoother warts that usually grow in groups of 20 or more. They tend to grow on the face in kids, while men often develop them around the jaw area and women often have them on the legs.

Plantar warts

Plantar warts grow on the bottom of the feet. Because you walk frequently, the warts are often pushed inwards and may become painful.

If you suspect you have any type of wart, the team at Allan Mineroff, MD, PC, can help you find solutions.

What causes warts?

Warts come from the human papillomavirus (HPV,) which can get into your body through a small cut, scrape, or other openings in the outermost layer of skin. 

HPV is contagious, so you can spread warts to other people through direct touch or if someone touches something you touched.

People with weak immune systems and children have an increased risk of developing warts. 

Do I need treatment for warts?

Your body fights HPV naturally, so your warts may go away without treatment. But, in adults, warts are more likely to linger. If your warts don’t go away naturally, or if they’re painful or embarrassing, wart treatment can help you get rid of them. 

The Allan Mineroff, MD, PC, team offers a variety of wart treatments, customized for the kind of wart, its location, and your preferences. Common wart treatments include: 

• Topical solution that kills the wart
• Freezing the wart using liquid nitrogen to kill it
• Scraping the wart away and then burning the infected tissue
• Surgical wart excision

For warts that don’t respond to initial treatment or warts that return after treatment, the team may use more advanced wart treatment options like chemical peels, injections of an anti-cancer drug, or immunotherapy (topical medicine or injections.) 

If you have a wart and want it gone, call Allan Mineroff, MD, PC, or book your consultation using the online scheduling feature now.