Warts Specialist
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Hawaii Dermatology & Surgery, Inc.
Dermatology located in Aiea, HI & Honolulu, HI
Warts are a common harmless skin condition, but they can take a long time to go away. At Hawaii Dermatology & Surgery, Inc., with a main office in Aiea and a satellite office in Honolulu, Hawaii, William Wong Sr., MD, and the professional team of skin care experts take a holistic and patient-centered approach to care. They offer many treatment options for warts and work with you to develop an effective plan. To schedule an evaluation, call the office nearest you or book online today.
Warts Q&A
What are warts?
Warts are harmless skin growths caused by various strains of HPV that infect the top layer of your skin.
The viruses that cause warts are very contagious. They easily spread from direct contact with the wart or through something that touched the wart, like a towel or clothing.
Anyone can develop warts, but they’re more common in children and teens and people with a suppressed immune system.
What are the types of warts?
There are many types of warts. Their location and appearance determine the type.
Common warts
Common warts can develop on any part of your body, but commonly appear on the fingers, toes, and knees. The skin-colored, dome-shaped growths may vary in size and number.
Filiform warts
Filiform warts are long, skin-colored growths that typically appear on the eyelids, lips, face, or neck. You may have one or many filiform warts, and they may itch or bleed.
Flat warts
Most often found on the face, flat warts are slightly raised skin-colored or white lesions that tend to grow in clusters.
Plantar warts
Plantar warts are found on the soles of the feet and grow in multiples. The clusters of plantar warts can combine to create a large wart called a mosaic wart, which may grow deep into the sole of your foot and cause foot pain.
Subungual and periungual warts
Subungual and periungual warts are rough growths that appear around the fingernails or toenails. They start as small lesions and grow into rough, pea-sized warts with irregular borders.
Genital warts
Genital warts affect the genital and pubic area of the body. These warts grow large and in clusters.
How are warts treated?
Wart treatment depends on the wart type and location. You can treat most warts with over-the-counter medication, but these treatments take time. If your at-home treatments don’t work after 4-12 weeks, Hawaii Dermatology & Surgery, Inc. can help.
Wart treatment options include:
Cryotherapy
With cryotherapy, Hawaii Dermatology & Surgery, Inc. uses liquid nitrogen or nitrous oxide to freeze the lesion so it falls off.
Electrosurgery
During electrosurgery, the team uses a special tool that sends an electric current through the wart to kill the tissue.
Laser surgery
Laser surgery heats the wart until the tissue dies. The wart then falls off over time.
Salicylic acid preparations
Salicylic acid preparations slowly dissolve your warts over 4-6 weeks.
To learn more about the treatment options for your warts, call Hawaii Dermatology & Surgery, Inc. or book an appointment online today.
