The common wart is a tough, grainy bump that commonly shows up on your hands and fingers. It’s caused by a virus that’s highly contagious and passed around by touch. That’s why warts are seen so often on kids, young adults and others with undeveloped or weakened immune systems.

Warts are not really medically harmful, but you may want to have them removed because you’re embarrassed by them or they interfere with your regular daily activities. If warts are uncomfortable, there are a wide variety of home remedies available. But before taking treatment into your own hands, you should get an opinion from a trained BLUE VELVET dermatologist just to make sure it is in fact warts that you have and that the treatment you choose is effective and safe.

What You Can Expect

Genital warts are first symptomatic when you see small bumps on your genitals. Plantar warts and what’s termed “common” warts that show up on your hands are more likely to appear as:

• Rough when you touch them
• Flesh-colored, pink, tan or white bumps
• Grainy feeling
• Filled with tiny black specks that actually are clotted blood vessels

While it’s vital that you visit your BLUE VELVET dermatologist when you see any of these bumps on your hands, genitals or feet, it’s especially important that before you try to remove them, you see your skin doctor if:

• You’re not sure they are warts
• You have HIV, AIDS or a compromised immune system
• The warts are causing you any level of pain
• They change in color or size
• Attempts at home treatments fail

The Whole Wart Story

Common, everyday warts are caused by HPV, the human papillomavirus, of which there are about 100 varieties, but only one that leads to warts on your hands. Another type of HPV causes foot warts, as well as warts on other body parts and in your mucus membranes. Warts spread from skin-to-skin contact, possibly through a cut in your hand or a hangnail. You can catch them by touching something, such as exercise equipment, that was touched by someone with a wart. Still another type of HPV causes genital warts, which are transmitted by sexual contact. HPV is preventable with a vaccine that’s commonly provided to children. But even if you’ve been vaccinated, it’s still possible to develop warts after direct contact. And everyone reacts differently to the virus. Whether you are prone to getting warts or not depends greatly on the health of your immune system.