Granted, warts can be annoying and you may be forgiven for wanting to cut off that pesky outgrowth on your skin. Not too fast though…cutting a wart is not a good idea. Other effective treatment methods are available.
Read on to learn more about warts, why you should not cut them, and effective treatment options.
Understanding Warts
Warts are small, usually painless growths on the skin. Although most warts do not hurt, most itch.
Warts commonly appear on the hands while others may appear on the face, genitals, beneath the feet, and in the fingernails or toenails. Another very common form of skin growth is a skin tag. We’ve recently reviewed the best products for skin tag removal here.
Causes Of Warts
Experts believe that viruses belonging to the human papillomavirus (HPV) family cause warts.
There are hundreds of HPV and some can cause warts on the hands, face, and feet while others can cause these outgrowths on the genitals.
Some people are more susceptible to HPV and can catch warts easily. Bear in mind that warts can be contagious through skin to skin contact or by touching items used by a person who has warts.
Genital warts have a high rate of contagion and can be passed on from one partner to another during sexual intercourse.
Treatment of Warts
While some warts may disappear on their own, most warts typically take a long time to go away without treatment.
Proper treatment can prevent warts from spreading from one part of your body to another and from one person to another.
Common warts that grow on the fingers or feet respond well to over the counter medicine. You should never cut off warts.
Genital warts are a different animal altogether. Avoid using over the counter medicine or home-remedies to treat genital warts. These treatments could cause more harm to your genital area.
If you have genital warts or warts on the face, speak to a doctor about the best course of treatment.
Effects Of Cutting Off A Wart
Cutting off a wart can have severe consequences and no matter what you may have heard, avoid cutting warts. Here are some effects of cutting a wart:
Pain and Bleeding
Cutting warts can result in excessive pain and bleeding. A wart is packed with sensitive nerve endings and cutting these can be a great source of pain. Be careful about cutting off warts as this can result in prolonged bleeding, which has its own consequences.
Scarring
Wart medication is not only gentle; it will also not leave any scars on your skin. Once the wart is burnt down, you wouldn’t even notice you once had a wart. On the contrary, cutting off a wart can leave a permanent scar on the affected part of the body.
Infection
Cutting a wart creates a wound, which is susceptible to infections and it could make things worse.
Effective Treatments For Warts
Instead of cutting off a common wart, opt for over the counter medicines, which will get rid of the growth in a matter of days.
Common warts treatments include:
Salicylic Acid
Treat common hand or foot warts by applying salicylic acid over the wart. Ideally, you should apply the treatment after showering.
Salicylic acid penetrates the skin more effectively when applied to damp skin. Before applying salicylic acid, use a pumice stone to get rid of the dead cells on the surface of the wart.
Cantharidin
Your doctor may apply this chemical onto the wart and then apply a bandage that you can remove after about 24 hours.
Some patients usually experience some pain a few hours after application of Cantharidin.
You may need to see your doctor for an additional application if the wart does not resolve the first time around.
Liquid Nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is usually used to freeze a wart in preparation for a minor surgery to remove the wart.
For best results, your doctor may need to apply liquid nitrogen on the wart for up to 3 weeks. Only a qualified doctor should perform wart removal surgery.
In addition to surgery, your doctor may recommend wart removal using laser as a last resort. The downside to laser is that it may cause scarring.
Summary
Generally, common warts will permanently resolve with over the counter treatments or prescription medication.
With these easily accessible treatment options, you will not have to endure incredible amounts of pain or risk excessive bleeding.
Genital warts require specialized treatment. Consult a doctor if you notice the appearance of warts around your genitals.