What are WartsÂ
Warts are small growths on the skin. They are common, and they are caused by a type of germ (virus). Warts can occur on many areas of the body. A person may have one wart or more than one wart. Warts can spread if you scratch a wart and then scratch normal skin. Most warts will go away over many months to a couple years. Treatments may be done if needed.
Follow these instructions at home:
- Apply over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor.
- Do not apply over-the-counter wart medicines to your face or genitals before you ask your doctor if it is okay to do that.
- Do not scratch or pick at a wart.
- Wash your hands after you touch a wart.
- Avoid shaving hair that is over a wart.
- Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.
Contact a doctor if:
- Your warts do not improve after treatment.
- You have redness, swelling, or pain at the site of a wart.
- You have bleeding from a wart, and the bleeding does not stop when you put light pressure on the wart.
- You have diabetes and you get a wart.
