How do warts develop? Simply explained & removal tips

Warts are unsightly, sometimes painful and unfortunately widespread. In this home tip, we explain how the small skin growths develop and how you can best remove them.

What is a wart and what types are there

• Thorny warts and mosaic warts usually appear on the feet.
• The face is usually haunted by brush warts and flat warts.
• Genital warts are limited to the genital area.
• The so-called common warts - the medical term is Verrucae vulgares - are most often found on the back of the hand or on the fingers. In rare cases, however, they also grow on the back of the foot and at the tip of the nose.
• Common warts can occur individually or over a large area in the compound. As a rule, daughter nipples gradually form around a nipple. The result is a plate-like growth.
• Common warts are pin-point to pea-sized, hemispherical skin elevations that protrude about one to three millimeters from the surrounding skin. A horny layer makes them look rough and scaly.

How warts develop - a simple explanation

• Warts are caused by the so-called human papilloma viruses (HPV).
• The viruses get into the skin through small cracks or injuries. There they ensure that the skin cells multiply. This excess cell creates a thicker cornea. You will see this thickening as a wart.
• Because warts are caused by viruses, they are contagious. Viruses are usually transmitted through direct skin contact, but can also be carried out indirectly via towels, shoes, socks or razors.
• Damp and swollen skin makes it easier for viruses to penetrate.
• Between infection and the onset of the wart are between 6 weeks and 20 months. So if you discover a wart on your hand, the infection may have been a long time ago.
• As with any infectious disease, there are certain risk groups for warts. These include, for example, people who frequently use public shower rooms or changing rooms in swimming pools or sports facilities. If warts are widespread in your environment, this also increases the risk of infection.
• People with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to warts. This also applies to people who suffer from neurodermatitis.

Warts removal tips

• Warts are not dangerous, but annoying and contagious. Depending on the size and affected areas of the body, the skin elevations can also be painful. So it makes sense to remove the skin growth.
• You can use icing to tackle small warts that are still developing: liquid nitrogen is applied to the wart and the extreme cold destroys the top cells of the skin layer. Treatment requires multiple repetitions, usually once a week.
• Salicylic acid patches or salicylic acid gels also help to remove individual warts. Patches should be applied every two to three days, the gel should be applied daily.
• In a separate home tip, we have summarized effective home remedies for warts for you.

In the video: Even an office job without movement is dangerous

We will tell you how to remove blemishes in the next home tip.