Warts are a common and harmless type of skin growth that usually occurs on hands or fingers and are caused by the human papillomavirus, otherwise referred to as HPV. Though the presence of warts can be embarrassing they generally do not cause any other health conditions. Various treatment options are available for warts and wart removal depending on how frequently a person develops warts and where they are located.
Many warts do not necessitate special treatment or wart removal remedies. Though they take an extended period of time to disappear completely and new ones may reappear in close proximity to the original site, self-care treatment approaches are very effective. Salicylic acid is an active ingredient in wart removal patches which are available at most retailers and drug stores without a prescription. Consistent, daily use over the span of several weeks of wart removal patches offers users the best results. Skin irritation is a common side effect of this type of treatment and even with successful use of salicylic acid warts frequently recur and can become a persistent problem in certain individuals.
When self-care wart removal treatments are not effectively handling warts, patients may approach their doctor for alternative solutions. Freezing therapy utilizes liquid nitrogen to create dead tissue in the location of the wart which sloughs off leaving skin smooth again. Referral from a primary care doctor to a dermatologist who is capable of providing specialized treatment is an option when warts are not responding to less-intense methods of wart removal. A dermatologist can employ methods such as retinoids which is a medication containing vitamin A and interrupts the skin cells from continuing to multiply in the location of the wart. As with most medications however, there are side effects to take into consideration when deciding on an appropriate course of treatment.
