Is it possible for a wart to have hair growing out of it? Yes. Most warts don’t have hair growth, but some do. There are several reasons for this. Warts grow relatively fast. It takes time for a hair follicle to grow in the newly generated flesh of a wart. Additionally, the tough outer covering of most warts makes them unconducive to hair growth. If a wart grows over an existing follicle, in time the hair can grow right through and out of the wart. But it usually takes several months for the hair to grow long enough to reach and poke through the surface of the wart. Types of warts most likely to grow hair Many warts have a tough outer covering that can prevent hair from breaking the surface. This is not true for all types of warts, however. The softer the wart, the more likely it may […]

I’ve read many stories (mostly horror stories) about people using a knife, razor blade, scalpel, or nail clippers to lop off a wart. I get it. A wart can be really annoying and painful. It’s tempting to simply chop it off straightaway. But please don’t. Think it through before you hastily cut off an untreated wart. In this article I will explain why it’s not a good idea, and show you how to properly remove a wart. 5 reasons you shouldn’t just slice off a wart Pain: A wart is filled with nerve endings. If you think your wart is painful and irritating now, cutting it off without treating it first is going to take the agony to another level. Why? Wart medicine kills skin cells, including nerves, so you don’t feel it so much when the wart comes off. Bleeding: Wart removal is always going to involve a little blood. But […]

The elbow is a sensitive location for a wart. The skin on the elbow stretches as we flex and extend it throughout the day. This can irritate a wart located there. Resting an elbow on a tabletop can further aggravate a wart located there. Warts are more common on the hands and feet, but elbows are not immune. Let’s take a look at why we get elbow warts and how to treat them. What causes an elbow wart? All warts are caused by an infection of the skin by the HPV virus. There are many different strains of HPV virus, each forming a different type of wart. HPV is the same virus that causes herpes. But don’t freak out, though. Warts are very common. Most people get a few of them at some point in their life. Our skin, or epidermis, provides protection from all kinds of would-be viral and […]

All warts are unsightly and irritating.  But when a wart gets a bacterial infection, the aggravation shoots to another level. An infected wart is painful and often discolored. It may discharge pus, a yellowish or greenish liquid produced by infected tissue. A wart infection is potentially dangerous, too. If left untreated, the infection can grow. In extreme cases, the infection enters the bloodstream and spreads to other parts of the body. With proper attention, however, a simple wart infection is easily treated at home. Let’s take a look at how to properly identify, treat, and prevent wart infections. How a wart gets infected Any cut or break in the skin is fertile ground for an infection. The epidermis, or outer layer of skin, protects the body from invading bacteria. Bacteria is allowed entry through even microscopic skin abrasions. How does this apply to warts? Well, warts are often itchy and irritable. […]

There are over 100 types of human warts and all of them are caused by the contraction of various strains of HPV virus. Bacteria, fungus, and parasites do not cause warts, although they can cause other serious bodily infections. And contrary to the fairy tale, touching frogs or toads does not put one at risk for contracting warts. What type of virus causes warts? The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the sole source of every type of wart found on the human body. Whether you have warts on the foot (plantar warts), tiny warts on your hands or fingers, genital warts, or filiform warts (facial warts), they all originated from the contraction of a virus. The HPV virus that causes warts is actually a milder strain of the same virus that causes herpes. I know this sounds creepy, but before you get too alarmed, understand that the HPV virus is ubiquitous. […]

A dermatologist is the type of doctor who specializes in wart removal and the treatment of other skin conditions. Most people first visit their GP, or general practitioner doctor, who then refers them to a dermatologist for wart removal. A GP can remove warts also, but doesn’t have the specialized equipment for wart removal that a dermatologist does. In extremely rural areas which don’t have access to a dermatologist, the local GP might be only doctor available. If you need to get warts removed, make an appointment directly with a dermatologist if your medical insurance allows you to do that. Some health plans require that the patient get a referral from their primary care physician before they can schedule an appointment with a dermatologist, however. How does a dermatologist remove warts Modern medicine is excellent at wart treatment and removal. There are several almost magical methods that a dermatologist can […]

Skin tags are different but similar to warts, and it is possible to use the same over-the-counter wart remover to get rid of them. Wart remover is not the best choice for skin tags (that would be your doctor), but you can do it yourself if necessary. Skin tags are benign tumors (growths) on the surface of the skin. In contrast, warts are caused by a viral infection. Skin tags often appear where the skin is folded, such as in the armpit, in the skin folds of the neck, and behind the knee. Please reference the photo in this article to identify if you do indeed have a skin tag. Skin tags are not dangerous and usually do not hurt. But they can be as aesthetically displeasing and for this reason you may wish to have your skin tag removed. If so, the best course of action is, as mentioned, […]

A wart that grows on the eyelid is most likely a filiform wart, and its removal can be tricky because of its proximity to the eye. It can be especially bothersome because the wart is constantly irritated when the eye is blinked. Additionally, eyelid warts are quite unsightly because of their prominent location on the face. How to identify a filiform wart Filiform warts are unusual looking and do not have the same appearance as other types of warts. They look like a branch or twig sticking out from the skin, similar to a skin tag. Filiform warts most frequently appear on the face or neck, and that is why they are also called “facial warts”. You may reference the picture of a filiform wart on an eyelid to get a better idea of their appearance. A unique characteristic of the filiform wart is its rapid growth rate. It can […]

Do you have small red bumps or warts on your hands and fingers? The most likely culprit is the flat wart, but it may also be a common wart, or even a cyst or other type of growth. Flat warts Flat warts are most likely to develop on the face, hands, legs. They are very small and can be white, pink, or red colored. As the name suggests, flat warts have a flat top with a smooth texture. There are usually many of them clumped together in a certain area, sometimes in a linear pattern. It is common for them to appear in places that are shaved frequently, such as a woman’s legs and a man’s face. The HPV virus, which causes warts, enters the skin through a cut which is why they may appear in a linear pattern along a cut or scratch mark that has since healed. The […]

Juvenile warts are more commonly known as flat warts, and get their name from the fact that they are more likely to affect children and young people and adults.  That is because as we age, our immune system develops resistance against the HPV virus, which is what causes them. How to identify a juvenile wart A juvenile wart can be identified by its tiny size which is about the size of a pinhead but can sometimes be larger up to the size of a small pencil erasure.  Their colorization is usually the same as skin, somewhat pinkish white, so juvenile warts are not easily noticeable unless you are looking for them. You will rarely see one juvenile wart alone as they normally appear in clusters and often in a linear structure.  The top of a flat wart is, as the name would suggest, flat and it is also smooth to […]

The appearance of tiny warts on the hands or the fingers can be distressing, but these are only benign growths that are caused by the HPV virus.  They are acquired through lesions in the skin where the virus is able to enter and take root.  These warts are more common in children because their body has not had time to develop immunity to the virus. The tiny warts could be flat warts, which are sometimes called juvenile warts, that are just taking now taking hold in the skin and beginning to grow.  In order to make an identification, look to see if there are tiny black or red dots about the size of a pin prick in the head of the wart. If so, it may be a verruca, which is a type of plantar wart that is more commonly found on the foot but may appear on the hands […]

A verruca, or verruca plantaris, is a plantar wart that grows on the bottom of the feet and toes.  They are the same as common warts, but because of the location they can be quite painful because they are pressed into the bottom of the feet by the weight of the body. They appear as circular growths which might resemble corns, but usually have several dark, blood colored specs in the center which are actually tiny blood vessels which supply the verruca with nutrients to grow. A verruca will often spread to surrounding areas of skin on the foot forming a cluster of warts, called a mosaic.  The virus is highly contagious and easily spreads to adjacent areas of, as well as from one person to another. How do you get a verruca on your foot? Verrucas  are caused by the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which is acquired through […]

Warts are spread by a virus called the human papilloma virus, or HPV. If broken or cut skin makes direct contact with HPV, a wart can gain entry there and begin to grow.  Our feet and hands are constantly touching foreign surfaces throughout the day and because of this, the hands and feet are the two most common locations on the body to get a wart. Little red warts or bumps on the fingers and hands are common.  But getting any wart on the hand or finger can be painful because as we go about our daily activities, there is a good chance we will put pressure on the wart and irritate it. Remove the wart when you first notice it, before it has time to grow One of the keys to removing the wart is killing it early, before it has time to really take root in your skin and […]

Discovering a wart on the tongue can be a stressful experience. People often wonder whether or not you can get a wart on the tongue, and those who are afflicted with it want to know how it happened and what they can do about it. Luckily, tongue warts are fairly rare. What causes warts on tongue? In most cases, a wart on the tongue is caused by a virus that is sexually transmitted from one person to another. The virus is known as human papilloma virus and once you get the virus, you have it forever. But don’t be distressed, over 90% of the human population has this virus. And just because the virus will stay with you forever, that this not mean that the wart will as well. The wart is usually sexually transmitted, but this is not always the case. Some people will get a tongue wart simply by being unlucky. But the […]