Here’s some key information about them:

Types of Viral Warts

• Common Warts (Verruca Vulgaris): They are often  seen on hands and fingers. They appear rough and raised.
• Plantar Warts: They grow on the soles of the feet, often painful due to pressure. Skin as a  response, trying to contain the warts at that location, becomes  thick. Plantar  warts usually spread when people walk barefoot.
• Flat Warts (Verruca Plana): Small, smooth, and flat-topped, typically appearing on the face or hands. These are multiple in number and generally look darker than the surrounding skin.
• Filiform Warts: Long, thread-like warts around the face, eyelids, or neck. These are one of the highly contagious forms of warts. When they grow in the beard area, they get cut while shaving and cause bleeding.
• Genital Warts: Appear in the genital or anal area. They are sexually transmitted. When they are present on the mucosal surfaces, they appear wet and shiny.

Treatment Options

• Over-the-counter remedies: Salicylic acid-based treatments can gradually remove the wart. However, it is not suitable for sensitive areas and face as it can lead to skin, burn and pigmentation.
• Cryotherapy: Freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen by a healthcare provider. This is a very good way to get rid of warts. However, it requires multiple sessions. Pain and blistering are the commonly seen complications following cryotherapy.
• Electrosurgery: Burning off the wart with the help of electric current is a good way to get rid of warts. It is generally performed by a dermatologist. Topical anaesthesia or injected local anaesthesia is generally required. It has to be performed under a septic precautions as there is a risk of infection if not done properly. However, what can occur even after electro surgery.
• Laser therapy: it is usually performed for resistant or deep warts. CO2 laser is the preferred choice. The advantage of laser is that it is precise and larger areas can be treated with least tissue damage.
• Prescription treatments: Topical medications like imiquimod or cantharidin.
• Immunotherapy for warts: When the warts are multiple and recurrent, it is recommended to stimulate the host immune response.  Intralesional BCG vaccine, MMR vaccine, vitamin D have all been tested and shown good results. Autoimplantation is a treatment where a part of the wart  is taken, crushed into small pieces and inserted into the deeper layers of the skin. The viruses are known to die inside the deep layers of the skin, and stimulate an antibody response against the warts. Multiple sessions may be  required. These treatments are usually performed by dermatologists. At Subodha skin and cosmetic clinic, we believe in stimulating and improving the host immunity. We offer immunotherapy routinely for recurring warts.