Treating Skin Tags, Warts and Verrucae In London.

Skin tags and warts can often be mistaken for one another, and whilst neither is typically painful or cancerous, warts are contagious and can spread easily so it’s best to have them removed by a specialist.

Skin tags can commonly be found on the neck, in the armpits, under the breasts, in the groin area, on the eyelids, or on the bottom, among other places. Most of the time they are harmless and don’t cause any pain or discomfort. However, depending on where they are located you may find that they rub or snag on your clothing causing some amount of discomfort. In addition to this, skin tags can sometimes be unsightly and can cause the person to feel self-conscious or embarrassed by their presence.

There are a few ways that you can tell if you’re dealing with a skin tag or a wart:

• Skin tags tend to be smooth and soft, whilst warts are typically rougher with an irregular surface
• Warts usually lay flat on the skin, whilst skin tags are knobbly and hang off the skin
• Warts are contagious and tend to develop in sudden outbreaks and clusters, whilst skin tags are not contagious and tend to be isolated in their appearance

Most people will have warts at some point in their life, though they tend to affect children and young adults. Warts are generally not painful, though verrucae can be sore to stand on. Some people find their warts embarrassing and those on the fingers may interfere with normal daily activities.

Without treatment, the length of time it takes a wart to disappear will vary between people. As a rough guide, about a third of warts have gone within three months, and most will have resolved within 2 years. Verrucae can take a lot longer than this to disappear.

• Wash your hands after touching a wart or verruca
• Change your socks daily if you have a verruca
• Cover warts and verrucae with a plaster when swimming
• Take care not to cut a wart when shaving
• Don’t share towels, flannels, socks or shoes
• Don’t bite your nails on fingers with warts on
• Don’t walk barefoot in public places if you have a verrucae
• Don’t pick or scratch at them

Warts and verrucas are growths caused by the same virus on different parts of the skin. Warts can appear anywhere on the body, although they are most common on the hands. Verrucas are warts that form on the soles of the feet. Since verrucas are squashed under the foot, they can look a bit different from other warts. Verrucas are usually flattened and often have dark specks as a result of tiny blood vessels being crushed inside them. The same kinds of treatments can be used on warts and verrucas.

Warts and verrucas are caused by a virus that can spread from one person to another. The chances of this happening are generally low, but it is more likely if the skin is wet or damaged. It’s therefore important to take precautions to prevent this such as wearing waterproof plasters while swimming or not sharing towels. The virus can also spread from one part of your skin to another, so you should try to avoid scratching or picking at the affected areas. It is also best to keep the skin dry as much as possible, so make sure that you are drying yourself thoroughly after baths or showers. You should also avoid sharing your towels with other people to avoid spreading the virus to them.

Warts and verrucas happen when a strain of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) gets into the outer later of the skin. The infection causes the skin to thicken, creating a small growth known as a wart or verruca. Viruses like HPV can’t usually get into the skin, but it can happen when the outer layer of skin is wet or damaged. This is why warts and verrucas often spread at public swimming pools, where people are touching the same surfaces with wet skin.

Warts and verrucas are so common that most people will have them at some point in their lives. Some people are more likely to catch the virus that causes warts and verrucas, especially if they have a condition or are taking medication that weakens their immune system. Children are also more likely to be affected. This is because they have less developed immune systems and are more likely to spend time swimming or in close contact with each other while playing. Approximately 1 in 10 children will be affected by warts of verrucas.

Genital warts are similar to the warts and verrucas that appear on other parts of your skin, but they are caused by a different strain of HPV that can’t affect other areas. Genital warts are considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI) because they can be spread through sexual contact. If you have warts in the genital area then it is important to see your GP or visit a sexual health clinic as they will require a different type of treatment than other kind of warts.

Warts and verrucas are generally harmless. In time, they will often go away by themselves, but this could take more than a year. If you’re unsure whether a growth is definitely a wart, you’re uncomfortable or embarrassed about it, or you just don’t want to wait for it to disappear, then you should seek treatment. The wart or verruca can be removed.

Getting rid of warts and verrucas can be tricky. You might have tried over the counter wart and verruca removal products without any success before seeing a doctor or the treatment your dermatologist provided might not have worked at first. Sometimes it takes a while to find the treatment that will work for you. Your dermatologist can offer a number of different wart treatments, so if one of them doesn’t work there will usually be another option to try. For example, diphencyprone or DCP therapy is a new treatment for warts and verrucas that can be particularly effective when they haven’t responded to the other options.

Warts or verrucas won’t cause any serious complications, but they can be a bit painful or uncomfortable. You might also feel self-conscious about them if they are in a visible place. However, there is a small chance that you might mistake another type of growth for a wart or verruca, so it is best to get them checked by an expert just in case. You can see a dermatologist for treatment or ask a pharmacist to confirm that you have a wart or verruca.

If you have a growth that looks like a wart or verruca, then that is the most likely diagnosis. Another possibility is that the growth is a corn, which is a small and harmless growth that can appear where skin has been under pressure (for example where your shoe has been rubbing). There are also some types of skin cancer that can look similar to warts so it is important to consult an expert if you’re not sure what it is. It is especially important to see a doctor if the growth is painful, itchy, growing quickly or bleeding. Although it could still be a wart or another benign growth, there is a chance it could be something more serious that require immediate treatment.