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.

Your Warts and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) - What Are the Characteristics of This Virus

Most of us have probably been forced to deal with warts at one time or another, whether personally or while supporting loved ones.

A wart is a skin tumor and is typically composed of a small lump on the outer layer of the skin. There are many different types of warts and they are usually classified both by their location on the body and by their appearance.

These skin growths are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. The human papilloma virus is contagious and can pass from one person to another. It can also be transmitted by touching an object torched by a contaminated person. The HPV has also a tendency to contaminate other areas in the same body.

It is easily transferred from person to person when the skin has been opened through a scratch, cut, or abrasion. The strains of the human papilloma virus that causes genital warts can easily be transmitted through sexual activity.

Being a carrier of this virus does not always mean that you will develop warts. Many individuals are carriers of this virus but may not develop any growth themselves. They can however transmit this virus to other individual.

Children and young people seem to be most susceptible to this virus, though it can really affect anyone. The virus is most contagious in its very early stages. However, anyone with a history of HPV can spread it. Sometimes years can go by before warts appear as a result of the infection.

HIV or medications that suppress the immune system make people much more susceptible to this virus and so increase the likelihood of developing warts.

If a person is healthy and active, sometimes the immune system can destroy the wart on its own. A healthy diet may also help to strengthen the immune system.

HPV has been associated with warts but in recent years it has been discovered that it can cause certain types of genital cancers and abnormal growth in the eye as well.

The preferred habitats for the human papilloma virus are warm and moist environments. It can easily be found in places where water is used such as bathrooms and swimming pool areas. It can also more easily be found in public places where water is used since such places are frequented by many individuals. These places include public shower floors, public swimming pool floors, gyms and locker rooms. It can also be found in shoes!

If you take the appropriate precautions you will decrease the chances to be contaminated with the human papilloma virus. Refrain to go barefooted in the areas described above a far as you can, especially if it is a public place.

Further more refrain from touching your wart and then touching another part of your body. This may transfer the HPV from that wart to other areas of your body and so contaminating that other part.

Are Your Warts, Moles Or Skin Tags Hurting Your Confidence?

If you are a teenager and suffer from acne problems in a rather severe way, you know how this may lower your self-confidence. The same applies if you have a wart, mole or skin tag in parts of your body that are visible. Here I am talking about those 'horrible warts', moles or skin tags you may have or think that you have on your face.

Unfortunately today's society is quite a materialistic one and it nurtures in us an exaggerated importance on our appearance. A lot of programs and advertisements on television, internet, magazines and other written, audio and visual media make us believe that we have to be good looking to succeed in life. Good values are more and more being shown the back door.

This is however partly true. Industries are trying (and they are succeeding) to build exaggerated needs in all of us, so they can sell us their products. Intelligence, the ability to build mutual beneficial relationship with people, being able to attain the required skills for a successful career is much more important. All these will build your confidence.

However it is also true that your self-confidence will help you to build all these and much more. This is because your self-confidence is also related to your looks. Therefore it is important to take care of how you look.

Nevertheless you have to control yourself and remember that although being good looking is a plus point, you have to take it with a pinch of salt and remember that there are many other things that can help you to build your confidence and succeed in life.

So if you keep looking at the mirror and your eyes always fall on your wart, mole or skin tag, remember that most probably you are exaggerating and your wart, mole or skin tag is not so horrible as you might think.

However if you want to get rid of it, remember that there are many ways you can do so. But remember that although removing your wart, mole or skin tag will increase your self confidence, do not fall into the mistake to believe that being good looking by itself will solve all your problems.

Instead consider it is a plus point on your favor and as another way to build your confidence.

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What Are the 3 Main Attributes of Warts?

A wart is a small non-cancerous tumor that grows on the outer layer of the skin.

It generally resembles a cauliflower and its color is usually a bit different from the nearby skin. It is usually painless but sometimes it may itch or burn. Some type of warts group into clusters.

They are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. There are many stains of the human papilloma virus and different stains may cause different types of warts. The human papilloma virus is contagious.

All type of warts share a few basic attributes and characteristics:

• Autoinculable and Contagious

This means that they can be "passed" to another person through skin contact or by touching an object that was previously touched by the infected person.

The best environment for the HPV to thrive is warm and moist habitats. Therefore it can easily be found in certain places such as:

• Public Shower floors
• Public Bathrooms
• Locker rooms
• Near public swimming pools
• Gyms

It helps to refrain from walking bare footed in such areas as far as possible in order to decrease the chances of getting the virus through small cuts in your skin.

An individual may be a carrier of HPV and not have any wart. This is because not all carriers of this virus will develop into a wart. Further more a wart may take time to develop after the individual had contacted the virus.

Some people can transmit this virus without having any sign of warts themselves.

• Sprawling and Reproducing

Not only can they spread from person to person, they can spread also locally. They are capable of forming "child" growths and spread in the immediate area of infection. Treatment should be prioritized due to this spreading threat. It is also important to prevent them from coming back.

• Infectious

Apart from just spreading at the site of infection, they can spread to other regions of the body. The spread especially occurs when other areas are open or cut in some way.

You can reduce spreading warts by actively using disinfectants and by not letting anyone come in direct contact with your warts.