There’s a good chance that you or a loved one will end up suffering from warts at some point. While warts typically aren’t dangerous to your physical health, they can ruin your confidence and sharp looks. Thankfully, warts are treatable. Swing by Archstone Foot & Ankle Institute, serving Torrance, CA, to discuss wart treatment.

We’ll cover how warts are treated shortly. First, let’s go over what warts are.

What Are Warts? What Causes Them?

Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV infection causes patches of skin to grow thicker and rougher, hence the wart. In particular, HPV stimulates the overproduction of keratin, a thick, tough protein, thus resulting in a wart.

Only a few types of human papillomavirus cause warts. However, the virus is highly contagious and thus warts can quickly spread from person to person. They can also spread across your body.

Warts are commonly found on the hands and feet. However, warts can turn up pretty much anywhere on your skin. Fortunately, there are several different ways to treat warts. Let’s dig in.

Interested in learning more about warts? Visit the Archstone Foot & Ankle Institute, serving Torrance, CA, to learn about warts.

Here’s How Warts Are Treated

Many warts will eventually clear up on their own. However, it can take over a year for your body to deal with warts naturally. Meanwhile, you or your loved ones may suffer anxiety and other issues.

Salicylic acid washes, which are commonly used to treat acne, are one popular method for dealing with warts. You can buy some washes over the counter, but stronger, more effective salicylic acid washes require a prescription.

Another common type of treatment is cantharidin. With this treatment, a doctor will apply cantharidin to the top of the wart. From there, the substance will burrow beneath the wart and cause a blister. After that, the doctor can remove both the wart and the blister.

Perhaps the most widely known method for treating warts is cryotherapy. Doctors will apply an immensely cold substance, often liquid nitrogen, which will then freeze the wart. Once the wart is frozen, it is much easier to remove.

Doctors can also scrub warts away with abrasion, although this can take a while and might cause some discomfort. Laser therapy may also aid in the wart removal process. In some cases, the doctor may cut the wart out.

No matter the treatment method(s) chosen, removing warts takes effort, and often, a fair amount of time. Indeed, you may have to undergo multiple treatments. Thus, it’s important to address warts quickly before they spread. Fail to do so and you may have to undergo more treatment to remove new warts.

If you need wart treatment and live near Torrance, CA, dial (310) 362-5359 to reach the Archstone Foot & Ankle Institute.