Nearly fifty percent of children acquire warts at
some time or the other. Warts, in the real sense are
benign tumors which develop when keratinocytes, a kind
of skin cell, is infected by the wart virus. There are
many types of warts, the most common being rough bumps
which appear on fingers and hands. Others are flat
warts, genital warts, plantar warts, and molluscum
contagiosum. The difference is based on the types,
location, and painfulness of the wart. Common warts
appear on fingers and hands and usually are painless.
Plantar warts appear on the soles and are sometimes
painful. Periungal warts show up around the finger and
toe nail. Warts which appear on the face are flat warts.
The symptoms of the common warts are that the skin
develops an irregular surface and becomes rough. A dome
starts to appear after a day after infection. A popular
myth is that warts have roots, but they don’t. They grow
on the epidermis, which is the top most layer of the
skin. The black portion is because of broken veins and
clotted blood.
Warts come and go at various stages of life like
childhood and teenage years. They usually go away by
themselves. But some can be very painful, can spread
quickly and some of them wont go away for many years.
Such kind of warts should definitely be treated. The
most common treatment among the pediatricians is
cryotherapy. They will freeze the warts using liquid
nitrogen. Cantharidin can also be applied, which is a
painless treatment but can result in painful blisters at
the end of the day. The minus point is that these
treatments sometimes cause blistering and some warts
won’t come off in one sitting. If the warts won’t still
budge they are further treated with strong salicylic
acid, intralesional immune-therapy, bleomycin, or a
pulsed dye laser. Aldara can also be used in worst
cases. Because of some treatments the warts grow to the
end of the blister, which results in a bigger wart and
some might even result in a scar.
Besides other common wart treatments, the most
well-known home remedy is duct tape. The affected area
is covered with duct tape for about six days. If within
that time period, the tape peels off, it should be
reapplied. After the sixth day, the duct tape should be
removed and the wart should be soaked in water and a
pumice stone or emery board should be used to scrap the
top skin of the wart. After this, the duct tape should
be reapplied again within twenty four hours and the same
procedure should be repeated until the whole wart
disappears. This procedure takes at least two months to
get rid of the wart completely. Some kids hesitate to
put duct tape on parts which are visible, like fingers
and legs. They can be encouraged by making them wear
colored duct tape, other than grey. Many home wart
freezing and removal kits are also available in the
market whose help can be taken.
Warts spread by direct contact with the wart or any
material which the infected person has used like a used
towel which has been contaminated. It is contagious and
hence it is recommended to stay away from it at the very
sight of it. All the cuts, rashes and bites should be
cleaned regularly and should be kept covered. Another
measure for prevention is wearing closed shoes in public
places.
