Warts are a common skin growth caused by a viral infection, usually the human papillomavirus. Passed from person to person through contact, they’re rarely painful or harmful, however, many patients opt to remove warts since they are contagious and often unsightly. In his latest SlideShare presentation, Dr. Schlessinger discusses different types of warts, as well as removal and treatment options.
Warts are not just a childhood phenomenon, says Dr. Joel Schlessinger.
Warts usually appear as small, round, pink or flesh-colored growths. They are characterized by small, grainy bumps and may feature a pattern of black dots. These dots look like seeds, but they are actually small, clotted blood vessels.
Though they may be slightly more common in children, people young and old can develop warts from either direct or indirect contact with infected individuals. Contact could include sharing shoes, towels and clothing with others. In may take months or even years for a wart to develop after first contact with the virus.
Dr. Joel Schlessinger talks about the types of warts he treats most frequently at Skin Specialists P.C.
Common warts usually appear on the hands, and they can sometimes be spread to other parts of the body through continuous contact. Children, for example, often transfer warts from the hands to the face through repeated touch and nail-biting. Plantar warts occur on the bottoms of the feet (which is also known as the plantar surface), and are very similar in appearance to common warts.
Flat warts appear in clusters as small white or flesh-colored growths with flat tops in areas that are shaved frequently, like the face and legs. Shaving can cause flat warts to spread rapidly. Molluscum contagiosum is another highly contagious wart that is distinguished by a dimple in the center. It thrives in warm moist climates and can be easily spread to other parts of the body and to other individuals through contact.
Genital warts are one of the most common types of sexually-transmitted infections. Women are slightly more susceptible than men to contract genital warts, and a vaccine has been developed to promote prevention.
Dr. Schlessinger offers many methods when it comes to wart removal.
There are countless treatments available for wart removal on the market today, but none can boast a 100% success rate. Warts can be stubborn and there is always a chance they will redevelop after treatment. Dr. Schlessinger strongly recommends consulting your physician before attempting to treat a suspected wart with home remedies or over-the-counter treatments. These treatments often don’t work and could even make the wart larger than before.
The treatments that Dr. Schlessinger offers at his Omaha clinic have a proven 50-75% success rate. He prefers to uses an immune reactant to treat warts. This involves applying a diluted poison to the wart over time. The immune reactant creates an immune response that wards off the wart-causing virus, and after a short series of sessions, it usually disappears altogether. Other treatment options include oral supplements, laser removal, cryotherapy, chemical peels, burning and cutting, all of which are option that Dr. Schlessinger uses for his treatments to find the best approach.
For post-wart-removal scarring concerns, choose products personally selected by Dr. Joel Schlessinger.
Scarring is a concern for many patients after undergoing a wart removal procedure and something that Dr. Schlessinger tries to avoid with his treatments. Sometimes this is the result of a previous treatment at another provider, but we do offer options to treat this at our clinic and at LovelySkin.com. At LovelySkin.com, you’ll find a wide range of products for treating scars that come personally recommended by Dr. Schlessinger. Visit http://www.LovelySkin.com/Scars to learn more about over-the-counter topical care for your post-removal routine.
Do you have a question for Dr. Joel Schlessinger about warts and their removal? Let us know in the comments section.