Warts… what you need to know.

Warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by a viral infection in the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called human papilloma virus (HPV). Warts are usually skin-colored and feel rough to the touch, but they can be dark, flat and smooth. The appearance of a wart depends on where it is growing. Warts are passed from person to person, sometimes indirectly. The time from the first contact to the time the warts have grown large enough to be seen is often several months.

We offer a wide variety of successful treatments for warts and we are able to customize treatments for each patient. The treatments include a prescription cream applied to the warts daily, an oral pill taken daily, freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen, or an injection into each wart with either an anti-cancer drug called bleomycin or an immunotherapy drug called candida.

Molluscum contagiosum is also a common skin disease caused by a virus which affects the top layers of the skin. The name molluscum contagiosum implies that the virus develops growths that are easily spread by skin contact. Similar to warts, this virus belongs to the poxvirus family and enters the skin through small breaks of hair follicles. It can also be spread through a warm pool or bath water. Molluscum is usually small flesh-colored or pink dome-shaped growths that often become red or inflamed. They may appear shiny and have a small indentation in the center. We have effective treatments to eradicate molluscum. These treatments include cantharidin also known as “beetle juice” which is painted on each molluscum, a prescription topical cream used at home, or removal of the molluscum via liquid nitrogen or curettage.