Treatment for Warts in Berkeley
Wart Removal and Treatment
The board-certified dermatologist and skin specialists at NorCal Dermatology Group understand that a wart can cause you to be self-conscious or even uncomfortable about your appearance. But we have a range of effective treatments and a highly trusted team that can treat unsightly warts and restore your clear, smooth complexion.
Call our Berkeley location at 510-646-8065, or contact us online to schedule a consultation with our skin specialists today.
What Are Warts?
A wart is a skin growth caused by a virus, specifically the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. These lumpy, rough growths can either be isolated or clumped together, and are mostly found on the hands and feet, but can also be located on the face and genitalia (also known as genital warts). Warts can cause discomfort, and can potentially be spread to others. For your own safety, warts should be addressed and treated by a professional provider.
Causes & Potential Spread of Warts
The HPV virus leads to wart growth because of the excess growth of keratin, a hard protein found on the top layer of the skin. Different strains of HPV can result in different types of warts, and they can be passed on to other people through skin-to-skin contact, or from touching contaminated items. If you have damaged or wet skin, it can increase the risk of infection as well.
Warts can spread to other regions of your body from the following:
- Biting or scratching a wart
- Sucking fingers or biting fingernails
- Shaving your face or legs
- Sexual intercourse
Treatments for Warts
After determining the cause of your wart, our provider will decide which treatment option works best for your situation. While some warts may disappear within 1 to 5 years, warts that are large, numerous, or in sensitive areas of your body should be addressed as soon as possible. Our providers also take purely cosmetic cases, for those who wish to remove a wart for its unsightly presence.
Options for treating warts include:
- Topical treatments – such as creams containing salicylic acid or cantharidin (a secretion extracted by the blister beetle insect).
- Immunotherapy – aids your immune system in fighting the virus and eradicating the wart(s).
- Laser therapy – cuts off the blood vessels that are feeding the wart.
- Cryosurgery – utilizes liquid nitrogen to safely freeze off the wart.
To learn more about our treatments for warts, contact us online to schedule an appointment today.
