The Big Question: What is a Wart?

One of the biggest questions that people have about warts is, quite simply, what is a wart? Many people have no idea what a wart is, how it develops, and how to get rid of it and this is all very important information to know.

What is a Wart?

When it comes to the question of what is a wart, the basic answer is that it is a raised growth on the surface of the skin or the surface of another organ. Generally warts are small and rough feeling tumors, and although they are most common on the hands and feet there are different warts that can develop on different areas of the body.

There are plantar warts for instance, which are noncancerous skin growths that develop on the sides of feet and which are caused by the human papillomavirus. It is actually this virus that is responsible for most warts, and the term human papillomavirus or HPV is actually an umbrella term that includes over 100 different infections that are generally symptom free.

Treatment of Warts

Another question commonly asked that relates to the question of what is a wart is how warts are treated. This is one of the most important questions on the topic of what is a wart, because if the warts are left untreated they can be spread to others.

Although there are no guarantees when it comes to treating warts, there are a few different methods that are typically very effective. Warts can be removed in a few different ways, one of the most popular involving the application of chemicals onto the warts. Salicylic acid is often used for one, and this is one of the most common and successful treatments.

First the wart should be pared with a blade or emery board, and then it should be soaked in warm water for about ten minutes. This will help in the absorption of the medicine. After this the salicylic acid should be applied to the wart and then allowed to dry. The skin surrounding the wart can be protected with a petroleum jelly but this is not always necessary.

There are also other effective ways to treat a wart, including liquid nitrogen. This is a process that should only ever be performed by a medical professional, and with great caution and care. The liquid nitrogen treatment is generally very safe and easy, and is used to remove warts and moles from the skin.