Wart removal

Information:

Question:
Can warts be safely removed without seeing a dermatologist?

Answer:
Perhaps. Over-the-counter medications are often effective in removal of warts. See wart .


Warts are a very common skin condition. They frequently appear as single lesions or in small groups. This is a photograph of an unusually severe and extensive case of warts. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Warts may occur on any area of the body. These are typical looking warts on the face.



These common warts are situated around the fingernails and may grow under the fingernail. Periungual warts are difficult to treat.



Warts are caused by a viral infection. Plantar warts are commonly seen on the heel and ball of the foot and multiple warts may be present. A callous thickens around the wart and walking may become painful. This is a relatively large plantar wart. Note the black spots which are often seen in warts. They are the capillaries which feed blood to the wart.



A common wart. A circular bandage.



Warts are a very common skin condition. They frequently appear as single lesions or small groups. This is a photograph of an unusually severe and large wart.



Periungual warts are common warts. They are located around the fingernails and may grow under the fingernails. Periungual warts are difficult to treat. Multiple treatments are available but failure rates are high. This is an unusually severe case.



Warts are caused by a virus infection. The warts on the toes in this photograph are typical of warts on the feet. Warts at multiple sites on the same person are common (note the warts on the hand). A person can spread warts from one location on the body to another by a process called autoinoculation.



Warts are caused by a virus infection. Children often develop small, flat warts on the face. There are frequently hundreds of small individual warts present, giving the skin a rough look. They are difficult to treat without scarring, but left alone, they generally clear spontaneously after a few years.



Warts are caused by a virus infection. Many products can be used in attempting to remove warts. Treatments may include solutions, patches, and/or chemicals to freeze or kill the warts.



This is a picture of warts around the fingernails (periungual). These are common warts, but are located around the fingernails and may grow under the fingernail. Periungual warts are difficult to treat.



Warts are caused by a virus and can be spread around on the body (autoinnoculation). By scratching, this individual has spread the virus in a line, causing a line of warts to develop. This linear type spread of warts or other conditions is called the Koebner phenomenon.