Wart Removal
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INTRODUCTION
What Are Warts?
Warts are harmless skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They can grow on any part of the body, with common areas being fingers, hands and soles of the feet. Warts can also occur on the face and genitals.
Warts are usually painless, but can be uncomfortable if they grow on the soles and are exposed to repeated pressure from walking or jogging.
CAUSES
What Causes Warts?
- Skin-to-skin contact
Warts can be transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, such as touching someone else’s wart or through sexual intercourse. - Indirect contact
Indirect contact such as sharing of personal items such as cutlery, towels and shoes with an infected person, or through contact via contaminated surfaces, such as walking barefoot in a common pool or public shower. These actions increase the risks of contacting warts, especially for those with a weakened immune system, eczema, or skin with cuts or abrasions, as the virus can enter and spread through breaks in the skin barrier. - Self-contamination
Warts can spread to other parts of the body through autoinoculation, a process which transfers the virus from one infected area to another new area of the skin through touching, picking or scratching. - Viral infection of the skin
Certain strains of HPV can cause an infection in the outer layer of the skin. Once infected, a wart may grow over a period of months to years.
Types of Warts
There are over 100 types of HPV, and different strains of HPV produce different warts. The location and appearance of the wart depend on the type of HPV that is causing the wart. Identifying a wart from other types of bumps is important as this helps you to keep it from spreading to other parts of your body or to another person. Read on for characteristics of warts to help you with identifying them.
Common Warts
Common warts (also known as verruca vulgaris), are rough-looking hard bumps that are raised and round or oval in shape. They are commonly found on the hands, feet and elbows and caused by HPV types 2 and 4.
Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are warts that commonly appear on the soles of the feet and between the toes. They are characterised by tiny clotted blood vessels that presents as black dots/specks within the lesion.
Periungual Warts
Periungual warts are warts that form around the fingernails or toenails. They have a thick, cauliflower-like appearance.
Mosaic Warts
Mosaic warts are a cluster of warts that grow in a cluster pattern, resembling a mosaic. These warts are commonly found on the sole of the foot. Mosaic warts are most commonly caused by HPV Type 2.
Filiform Warts
Filiform warts have an elongated narrow appearance. These warts stick out from the skin by 1-2mm and often grow around the mouth, eyes and nose. Filiform warts can be caused by HPV types 1, 2, 4, 27 or 29.
Flat Warts
Flat warts are smooth, slightly raised bumps that are flatter and smaller than other warts. These flesh-coloured or yellowish/brownish bumps often appear in clusters on the face, hands and legs. Flat warts are caused by HPV Types 3, 10 and 28.
Genital Warts
Genital warts are a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by HPV Types 6 and 11. These warts appear as small, flesh-coloured bumps on the genitals, pubic area or anal canal. In women, genital warts can appear around the vagina, vulva, anus or cervix. In men, warts may appear on the penis, scrotum or around the anus.
EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS
Wart Removal Treatments – Laser vs Cryotherapy
Laser and cryotherapy are most commonly used for treating warts. Whereas cryotherapy can work for removing small, new warts, lasers are the preferred treatment modality for removing deep, stubborn or resistant warts, due to its ability to target the wart’s root with higher precision. On the other hand, cryotherapy is less effective for removal of deep warts as the cold does not always penetrate to the core unlike lasers which can vaporise tissues effectively. As a result, cryotherapy may require multiple treatment sessions while lasers can be used to remove warts in fewer sessions or within a single session.
At Veritas, both ablative and non-ablative lasers are used to treat warts. Ablative lasers such as CO2 or Er:YAG lasers are used to vaporise wart tissues. Its high power of short light pulses allows for highly calibrated ablation and cutting of soft tissue, achieving high clearance rates while minimising damage to healthy epidermal skin cells. Non-ablative lasers, such as pulsed dye lasers are used to destroy blood vessels that supply blood to the wart. The process cuts off blood supply to the wart, causing the tissues to die and wart to fall off.
The doctor will assess your skin condition and the type of wart before recommending the most suitable laser option for you. If you are considering wart removal in Singapore, reach out to schedule a consultation for an assessment of options .
FAQ
Can warts go away on their own?
Do warts grow back after removal?
Is laser wart removal painful?
Can I see before/after photos of wart removal?
OUR DOCTORS
Dr CY Chua
- 10+ years of medical experience
- 10,000+ cases of aesthetic treatments
- Known for unique treatment protocols from years of experience
- Speaker and Trainer at American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine
- Regional Trainer for Ultraformer 3 HIFU, ProYellow Laser, Ellansé, AGNES RF, etc
- The only official trainer for Fotona Lasers in Singapore
Dr Lena Fan
- 10+ years of medical experience
- 10,000+ cases of aesthetic treatments
- Known for specialised treatments that cater towards feminine health
- Trainer for non-invasive Vaginal Laxity & Urinary Incontinence treatments
- KOL for fat loss and body sculpting treatments
- Combined background in Aesthetic Medicine & Family Medicine
Address
13 Stamford Rd,
#B2-38 Capitol Singapore,
Singapore 178905
Hours
Mon to Fri: 11am - 8pm
Sat: 11am - 6pm
PH: By appointment only.
