Warts removal is not always a simple treatment, and sometimes wart removal can be a real challenge. Luckily, the most effective warts removal treatments are the least invasive.

The human papillomavirus (HPV), also known as verruca vulgaris, is a skin infection that causes warts. The infection causes rough, skin-colored bumps to form on the skin. The virus is contagious. You can get warts from touching someone who has them. Warts most commonly appear on the hands but can also affect the feet, face, genitals, and knees.

Warts removal

What is Verruca vulgaris?

What are warts? Warts are noncancerous (benign) rough bumps that form on the skin. They develop when the human papillomavirus, or HPV, enters a cut or break in the skin and causes an infection.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a type of skin infection that causes warts. The infection causes rough, skin-colored bumps to form on the skin. The virus is contagious. You can get warts from touching someone who has them. Warts most commonly appear on the hands but can also affect the feet, face, genitals, and knees.

The main symptom of human papillomavirus infection is that it triggers excessive growth of skin cells. This makes affected areas appear thickened, hard, and rough. Some types of warts are flat and smooth. You can get warts on any part of your body, but they commonly appear on the hands and feet.

Warts are benign (noncancerous), but they are contagious. Most types of HPV cause non-genital warts. Other types cause genital warts. Some HPV types cause an increased risk of cervical cancer.

Who might get warts?

Human papillomaviruses that cause warts are very contagious. Skin-to-skin contact is a simple method of spreading the virus. Whether or not you develop a wart when you come into contact with someone else’s warts depends on various factors, including the strength of your immune system. You are more likely to catch warts if you have a wound on your skin.

Children are more prone to warts because they get a lot of cuts. Still, anyone can get warts. People with autoimmune diseases or weakened immune systems, including the elderly, are more susceptible to the virus that causes warts.

Are warts dangerous for your health?

Many of our patients ask, “Are warts dangerous?” This is also one of the most frequently asked questions online. Warts generally aren’t dangerous; they are potentially embarrassing and contagious.

Warts are extremely common. Most are small and painless. Many will resolve themselves. All are benign. But that doesn’t mean warts are trivial. Many are unsightly, some cause pain and patients with weakened immune systems can have major problems with warts. However, worry and embarrassment are the two most prevalent symptoms, and both are best treated with a straightforward dose of knowledge.

What are the types of warts?

Wart types vary depending on the affected body part. There are five main types of warts. Each type occurs on a different body part and has its own appearance.

Types of warts are:

Common wart:

These flesh-colored, dome-shaped lesions are found most often on the fingers and the backs of the hands, especially around the nails. They may also be found on the feet. These types of warts are often rough and bumpy. Sometimes, they have little black dots that resemble seeds. These are small blood vessels with blood clots. Common warts may appear on skin areas with small wounds, such as around the fingernails from nail-biting. If you have the virus on your hands, transferring it to your face is very easy. The official name for common warts is Verruca vulgaris.

Flat Warts

Flat warts are smaller than other types but tend to occur in large numbers. It is not unusual for someone with flat warts to have 20 to 100 of these warts at once. Women may get these warts on their legs. Men tend to get them in beard areas. Children may suffer from these warts as well. Flat warts are unique compared to other types of warts because, as their name suggests, they are flat.

Filiform Warts

Filiform warts grow very fast and have a spiky appearance. Small projections from these warts look like threads, finger-like projections, or brushes. Common sites where these warts grow include the face around the eyes, nose, and mouth. These warts can make people feel self-conscious, but they are usually painless. These warts may be brown, yellow, pink, or flesh-colored. Avoid touching these facial warts and seek treatment to avoid getting them in new locations.

Genital Warts

By having sexual contact with someone who already has them, genital warts can spread. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is what causes these warts. Warts may be on the outside of the genitals. Some types that cause cancer result in the growth of lesions on a woman’s cervix. Genital warts look like flesh-colored bumps that have a cauliflower-like appearance. It is possible to get genital warts and HPV infections, even if they are not visible. Sexual contact, anal sex, and oral sex are all ways to spread potentially cancer-causing HPV strains.

Plantar warts

Plantar warts are small, noncancerous growths on the sole that occur due to a particular strain of human papillomavirus (HPV). While anyone can get plantar warts, they are most common in children and teenagers. Some athletes, including dancers, gymnasts, and swimmers, may be more likely to get plantar warts due to being barefoot in communal areas. People with a weakened immune system are also at higher risk.

What causes plantar warts?

The HPV virus that causes plantar warts is contagious and can spread between people, particularly in warm, wet environments.

Below are factors that cause plantar warts:

Have a weakened immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight off the HPV virus
Walk barefoot in a swimming pool, locker room, or communal shower area
Have skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a plantar wart
Share shoes or unwashed socks that come into contact with both people’s bare feet

Symptoms of warts

The symptoms of warts vary in appearance. Below are common symptoms of warts

Dome-shaped.
Small, fleshy, grainy bumps
Flesh-colored, white, pink or tan, brown, grey, or black.
Rough to the touch
Sprinkled with small black pinpoints, clotted blood vessels

What causes warts?

One of the major causes of warts is human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus is quite common and has more than 150 types, but only a few cause warts on your hands. Some strains of HPV are acquired through sexual contact. However, most wart types spread through casual skin contact or shared objects like towels or washcloths. The virus usually spreads through breaks in your skin, such as a hangnail or a scrape. Biting your nails can also cause warts to spread on your fingertips and around your nails.

Each person’s immune system responds to the HPV virus differently, so not everyone who comes in contact with HPV develops warts.

Other causes of warts include:

Direct contact with a wart.
Touching something contaminated with the virus, such as towels, doorknobs, and shower floors.
Sexual intercourse (genital warts)
Nail-biting and cuticle-picking.

Treatment for warts

Warts often go away without treatment for warts. About 65–78% of warts shrink or disappear within two years. However, if they do not go away after this time or a person wants to remove the wart more quickly, there are several treatments for warts, including:

Prescription creams are the most common method of wart removal

Prescription cream is one of the treatments for warts. A doctor may prescribe salicylic acid for plantar warts. This compound is usually the first treatment option for removing warts. People can apply salicylic acid topically to the wart daily over a few months.

Cryotherapy – an effective and safe warts removal treatment

Cryotherapy is used for wart removal. Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze off the wart. Researchers have found this method less effective than salicylic acid in some situations. Most dermatologists will combine both treatments to maximize the likelihood of removing the wart. To get the best results from cryotherapy, people may need to return every 3 weeks for repeat treatment. Some people require several treatments with cryotherapy to resolve the wart. Cryotherapy tends to be painful and may not be suitable for young children.

Immunotherapy – treatment for most stubborn warts.

If warts do not respond to other treatments, immunotherapy can stimulate the immune system to fight off the HPV virus responsible for their development. It is ideal for the removal of warts. Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapy drug that people can use off-label and apply as a cream to the wart. The medical community does not recommend it for pregnant women or those planning to become pregnant. People can also take other treatments for warts, such as oral medication such as cimetidine.

Intralesional candida injection – another form of immunotherapy for warts removal

This type of treatment for a wart has proven to be quite successful as an off-label treatment for warts. It essentially involves the injection of the antigen from the yeast Candida into one or two warts in the affected area. This antigen ramps up the immune system, which helps resolve the injected wart and other warts in the area. Multiple injections are sometimes necessary to make a noticeable difference in people who respond to this treatment.

Laser treatment

Laser treatment involves using a beam of high-intensity light to destroy the wart. This treatment can be effective, but it can sometimes cause scarring. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, the pulsed dye laser method is 60–75% effective in removing warts that are difficult to treat. However, multiple treatments may be necessary.

Note: People should avoid having surgically removed warts because residual warts can remain, and the whole wart may grow back.

Natural remedies for warts: an effective and safe warts removal treatment

Natural remedies for warts are another treatment that has been proven effective without side effects and also helps reduce wart symptoms. Below are natural remedies for warts.

Home remedies for warts removal

Home remedies for warts removal are easy to achieve at home. Below are home remedies for Verruca Vulgaris

Pumice stone:

This is a home remedy for warts. It involves soaking the foot in warm water for 10–15 minutes to soften the wart, then rubbing it with a pumice stone or emery board. Pumice stones are available to purchase in drug stores and online.

Duct tape:

An anecdotal method for removing warts is to cover the wart with duct tape. Experts believe this decreases the oxygen supply to the virus, causing the wart. There is mixed evidence on whether this method is effective, but it is safe to try.

Freezing creams:

People can use OTC creams that will freeze the plantar wart off. These may include dimethyl ether and propane creams, which may be less effective than salicylic acid. As these treatments are unlikely to work well, doctors discourage their use. Anyone interested in this type of therapy should make an appointment with a dermatologist to have cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen instead.

People who use a pumice stone or emery board on their warts should not use it on any other part of their body or share it with others, as this can spread the infection. They should also replace it every so often to avoid reinfecting their foot.

People may also find that wearing comfortable shoes helps them walk without irritation or pain.

Hypnosis for warts: an effective and safe method of warts removal

Hypnosis for warts is another natural remedy for warts that has been very effective in removing warts.

Hypnosis for warts helps stimulate the subconscious mind and create belief and expectation, thereby eliminating warts. This type of hypnosis works for children oftentimes by convincing them that a particular ritual will “magically” make their warts disappear. One example would be to develop an intricate “wart-curing” ritual with your child, such as rubbing a stone on the wart and then burying the stone, signifying the disappearance of the wart.

Herbal remedies for warts—a popular form of home treatment for Verruca Vulgaris

Herbal remedies for warts are another natural remedy that is ideal for the removal of warts. Below are some of the most effective herbal remedies for warts

Echinacea.

Also known as the purple coneflower, Echinacea is another herbal remedy for warts that can be taken as an oral supplement to help reduce the incidence of warts. Echinacea is also available as a tea.

Wallachia.

The juice from this herb can be consumed to help treat warts and skin infections.

Ficus carica.

This herbal remedy for warts can reduce the incidence of warts in study participants.

Garlic ointments.

One of the ways to get rid of warts is to apply topically garlic ointments. It also helps to reduce the incidence of warts.

Homeopathy for Verruca Vulgaris: #1 warts removal treatment

Homeopathy for warts is a natural remedy prepared from naturally occurring substances. Hence, they are free from any side effects. Thuja Occidentalis, Causticum, and nitric acid are the best homeopathic remedies for warts. These medicines for warts are very effective and deep-acting and give highly promising results. Below are homeopathic medicines for warts.

Thuja Occidentalis

Thuja Occidentalis is an excellent medicine for warts. Thuja Occidentalis helps treat warts arising on any body part.

Causticum

Causticum is a very useful homeopathic remedy for warts and skin tags. It works very well in cases of warts that are large and jagged.

Nitric Acid

Nitric Acid is an excellent medicine for warts that bleed easily. Bleeding from warts may arise from touching or washing. Nitric acid is also indicated for warts that are sensitive to touch. It also helps to treat warts that are associated with itching.

Natural warts removal in Philadelphia

If you live in Philadelphia or its suburbs and suffer from warts, always remember that the Philadelphia Holistic Clinic is the #1 holistic treatment facility that offers all-natural methods under one roof. Some patients successfully use home remedies for warts removal, but if you still need professional advice and supervision, contact the clinic at (267) 403-3085 to schedule an alternative holistic assessment.