Common warts

What are they?

I used to run a wart clinic so I’ve seen and treated them in all their forms. As a child I had the unsightly greyish lumps and bumps all over my hands, so I’ve always had a vested interest in treatments.

Close examination reveals each wart is studded with black dots due to blocked blood vessels. Warts on the soles of the feet grow inward and are called verrucae. They can be painful making walking difficult.

What causes them?

Warts are a viral condition. They’re the result of infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) and are picked up through contact with another person.

As the virus is very contagious it can be transferred on towels and flannels through skin contact.

The virus will give you more warts by entering small breaks in your skin. Verrucae classically spread through the wet floors of swimming pools.

What’s the treatment?

After 18-24 months the body often forms antibodies to the wart virus and they disappear without treatment. Home treatments are a bit hit and miss and your doctor might suggest:

Laser treatment These days this is popular. It works by burning tiny blood vessels so the wart eventually dies and falls off – but it can cause scarring.

Freezing (cryotherapy) This was my favourite treatment in the clinic, using liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill the wart which just falls off. You may need more than one treatment.

Trichloroacetic acid The wart is first shaved and the acid applied with an orange stick. Weekly repeats are necessary.

A course of simple remedies

like prescription wart paints can always be tried, and then move on to stronger treatment if necessary.