While warts might spook you, there is little to worry about from a health perspective.
Beauty is only skin-deep, and, thankfully, we can say the same for warts.
“Warts are an overgrowth of tissue caused by the wart virus infecting skin cells,” said Dr. Lawrence Scherrer, a Marshfield Clinic dermatologist. “As extensive and deep as warts may look, they are entirely limited to the upper layer of skin called the epidermis.”
Are warts contagious?
Yes, warts are contagious, and they spread as skin cells fall off a wart. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the virus that causes warts.
“Warts don’t spread easily, however,” Scherrer said. “You tend to most often see warts in kids who have not been exposed to the virus before.”
Scherrer added it is difficult for the virus to take root where skin is intact.
“Simply touching a wart is not something that’s likely to cause a problem,” Scherrer said.
Do warts have associated symptoms?
You do not get sick or experience other symptoms when you have a wart.
“In most cases, warts are harmless aside from the fact that people may find them unsightly,” Scherrer said.
How can I get rid of a wart?
Usually, if left alone, warts disappear over time. However, it could take months or years for the wart to vanish.
“If the wart isn’t bothersome, it doesn’t have to be treated. It’s not harmful,” Scherrer said. “Warts hide from your immune system, so it can take a long time for them to disappear.”
Over-the-counter wart removal products can be effective, Scherrer said. Typically, these products contain salicylic acid and work by peeling off the top layer of skin where the wart resides.
Home remedies like using duct tape can work, Scherrer said.
“With duct tape, you’re just peeling off that layer of skin and that can work,” Scherrer said. “There are a ton of different home remedies that could work, mostly because they irritate the area where the wart is, which can help your body recognize there’s an infection there.”
The truth is nothing really works great for warts, Scherrer said.
“It’s always hard to tell if a home remedy actually worked or if the wart just happened to go away after the treatment,” he added.
Even freezing, burning or cutting a wart off may not work because HPV also lives in the skin cells surrounding the wart.
If a wart is persistent and bothering you, a trip to the dermatologist is a sensible next step, Scherrer said.
I've used duct tape for warts and it does work. Tape the wart for 7 days and leave it on, then remove and use a nail file to remove the top layer of skin and leave exposed for a day. Then repeat until the wart disappears. It took a while but it did work eventually and helped protect from the pain of plantar warts in the meantime. Nice to hear a doctor that actually agrees that warts are stubborn and sometimes home remedies can be effective too!
Great feedback, Melissa. Thank you for sharing your home remedy. -Kirstie
Your discussion on warts ignores the unpleasant mention of genital warts. Perhaps because it can be awkward to discuss in polite company. Is this a misnomer for herpes?
Eldine — To clarify, genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection caused by herpes simplex virus. It can cause sores, blisters or rashes. Genital warts, on the other hand, are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) — as mentioned in the story. Unlike herpes, genital warts are usually painless. Here is a New York Times articles discussing more on this topic: http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/are-warts-related-to-herpes/?_r=0 Thanks for reading. -Kirstie
Thank you for your reply to my specific question. I did not realize the distinction between warts and herpes. The reference clarified that issue. I don't know how far astray you will get in this dialog but given my new insight, I notice that HPV Types 16 and 18 are a common cause of cervical cancer. Can this be transmitted to another person by someone who has had cervical cancer?
I most always fine Shine365 interesting and enlightening – always check it out.
Hi, Dean. I'm glad you found those sources helpful.
According to American Cancer Society, all that’s needed is skin-to-skin contact with an area of the body infected with HPV. If the person with cervical cancer had HPV, then yes, they can transmit HPV to another person. Cancer is not “contagious,” though. “There are some germs that can play a role in the development of certain types of cancer. This may lead some people to wrongly think that ‘cancer is catching.’”
Sources: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/hpv/hpv-vaccine.html
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/is-cancer-contagious.html
-Kirstie