What is a Wart?

A wart is a small and rough tumor that grows on your skin, more commonly on your hands and feet. It can however grow on other parts of your body. Warts are very common and generally they are non-cancerous.

A wart usually resembles a cauliflower or a blister. It's color is different from the color of the nearby skin. In fact it is usually darker or lighter than the nearby skin. Although they are usually painless, sometimes because of their location, they may itch or burn.

Most of the different types of warts that exist are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus or HPV. The human papilloma virus is contagious and so you can get it from another person.

There are mainly 4 different types of warts:

• Plantar
• Flat
• Genital
• Common

Plantar warts are also referred to as foot warts and are typically found on the bottom of the foot. They are usually very flat because of the pressure caused by walking. However the constant pressure forces this type to grow back inside the foot!

Flat warts are smoother and much smaller than the other types of warts. They are light in color and tend to be subtle variations from the skin pigmentation. They typically occur on the arms, knees, and hands.

Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease. They can be anywhere in the genital area including the anus, penis or vagina, inside of the rectum and inside the reproductive organs. This type of warts is considered to be the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Common Warts are often found on or around the hands, especially in areas where the skin has been broken by ripped hangnails or broken nails.

The different types of warts can be removed by various warts treatments such as:

• Electrosurgery
• Laser therapy
• Cryosurgery
• Over the Counter medications and Home Treatments

In Electrosurgery an electric current is used to burn them. In Laser therapy a concentrated beam of light is used to destroy them. Cryosurgery uses very low temperatures to freeze them.

Electrosurgery, laser therapy and cryosurgery are a type of surgery. These treatments often require an anesthesia and you may have to attend for more than one session to treat your warts. You will also have some discomforts after the treatment.

Not all the above mentioned treatments may be adequate for all the different types of warts.

Over the counter medications and home treatments are also very commonly used. These methods do not require anesthesia and can cure various type of warts. Some of these treatments produce excellent results.