What are warts?
Warts are small, mostly harmless, skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They are extremely common, especially in children, affecting as many as one in five kids under the age of 16.
“Anyone can get them – it doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy or unhygienic,” Li-Chuen Wong, one of the principal dermatologists at Sydney Skin. “It’s just that your immune system doesn’t recognise that they are yucky for whatever reason and doesn’t try to get rid of them.
“There is also a familial link. If your mum, dad and aunty got them as a child, you are likely to get them too and there’s not a lot you can do about it.”
What do they look like?
Warts are small, raised bumps on the skin, ranging in size from 1 to 10 millimetres. There might be just one, or there might be a cluster and their surface can be smooth or rough.
There are several different varieties of warts, the most common being:
Common warts: Rough-textured, dome-shaped warts that can appear singly or in groups. Typically seen on the hands, but can grow on any part of the body.
Plantar warts: Small lesions with a cauliflower-like appearance that grow on the soles of the feet, causing pain when walking if left untreated.
Are they contagious?
Yes, they are. You can get warts through close physical with someone who has warts, especially if you have a cut or broken skin which allows the virus easier access to the body.
“But they aren’t so contagious that kids can get them from holding hands with their friends in the playground,” Wong says.
How do I treat them?
Do nothing: “Your immune system will eventually kick in and get rid of the wart but this could take years,” Wong says. “In that time, especially in children, the warts are likely to spread and become more of a problem so the ‘wait and see’ approach is not recommended for children or people with multiple warts.”
At-home treatment: Over-the-counter at-home treatments can be tried before seeking medical attention. Some products use salicylic acid to peel away the wart, while others use cryotherapy to freeze it. Over-the-counter cryotherapy, such as Wartie, use a gas to freeze the wart and have been shown to be effective in treating both common and plantar warts.
In clinic cryotherapy: “If you haven’t seen any improvement within three months, you should visit your doctor or dermatologist and get them to freeze the wart,” Wong says. “You really need to hit it hard which is very painful, especially for children, so it’s only something I recommend for very stubborn warts.” Most warts require 1 to 4 treatments with 14 days between treatments.
Home remedies: There are dozens of olds wives’ tales that claim to cure warts by rubbing them with various things – a potato, apple cider vinegar, orange peel, aloe vera, raw garlic, tea tree oil, dandelion milk or castor oil – twice a day for at least two weeks. Other remedies include painting the wart with clear nail polish, administering banana peel for three to four days, and covering with duct tape for at least 14 days. “Most of these things just don’t work,” Wong says.
How do I avoid getting reinfected?
Don’t bite your nails: “Hands are one of the most common places to get warts, especially for children,” Wong says. “Broken skin from bitten nails just invites the virus in.”
Be extra careful not to touch other people’s warts
Don’t scratch, pick or shave any warts you have as this could cause them to spread to elsewhere on your own body.
Seek treatment before warts spread.
This article is sponsored by Wartie.
Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist see your healthcare professional.
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