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A Closer Look at Hand Warts: Causes and Preventions

Getting warts anywhere on your body can be embarrassing and annoying, especially if they won’t go away. If you are located near Baton Rouge, LA, and want premium wart removal treatments, we can help. 

At Nunnally Dermatology, we perform hand wart removal and assist patients with proper wart prevention. Sometimes you need a little extra help with your warts, and that’s what we’re here for. There are several wart treatment options available. 

What is a wart? What are the wart causes that you can avoid? Here’s everything you need to know about hand warts and how to treat them. 

What Is a Wart?

Many people get warts confused with other types of skin bumps. A wart is usually not cause for major concern, but it’s important to know what you’re dealing with so you can properly treat it. 

Hand warts are also known as “common warts” because they occur so frequently in the population. Fortunately, when you know what they look like, you can better prepare to treat them and prevent the spread of them. 

Most hand warts look round, fleshy, and skin-colored. In some cases, hand warts appear flat instead of round. They can sometimes turn brown or black, but these colors are rarer than skin-colored hand warts. 

Wart Causes

Warts are skin bumps that form once you’ve been in contact with human papillomavirus (HPV). Unfortunately, there is a serious lack of education regarding different types of HPV and how to treat them. 

Hand warts form when HPV triggers extra skin cell production in your body. This is one of the immune responses triggered by this virus, and it’s usually not harmful to your health. However, it can cause inconvenient and uncomfortable warts, which may lead to social embarrassment. 

The type of HPV that causes hand warts is not always sexually transmitted. Hand warts can come from normal contact with HPV, which is why they’re so easy to contract. If you have cuts or other open wounds, your risk of contracting hand warts increases. 

Skin wart causes include:

  • Skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a wart
  • Contact with doorknobs, handles, showers, and other common spaces
  • Sexual intercourse with someone who has warts
  • Contact with HPV while having an open wound
  • Contact with HPV after shaving

As you can see, hand warts can pop up after everyday activities. There’s no shame in having hand warts. 

How to Prevent Hand Warts

Wart prevention is key to avoiding these pesky skin bumps. While there are hand-wart treatments available, it’s much easier to avoid getting them in the first place. 

Don’t Touch Someone Else’s Skin Bumps

If you aren’t sure what type of skin bump someone has, it’s best to avoid touching them altogether. Touching someone else’s wart can cause HPV to spread to your skin, increasing your risk of contracting hand warts. 

This doesn’t mean you have to avoid people with warts. Instead, ensure you avoid skin-to-skin contact with the areas where they have warts. Use good handwashing techniques, and don’t share clothing, drinks, or other items with them during active outbreaks. 

Address Cuts and Scrapes Quickly

One of the most common ways people get hand warts is through an open wound, like a scrape or a cut. HPV can enter the wound and trigger an immune response that creates warts. 

If you get cut or have another type of open wound, address it as soon as you can, even if it doesn’t seem serious. Use tight bandages to prevent particles from entering cuts and scrapes as they heal. 

Use Your Own Shower Supplies

Sharing razors, towels, and shower shoes with someone who has warts can spread HPV very easily. Even if you live with someone, it’s best not to use their shower supplies. 

Make sure you have your own clean towels, razors, washcloths, and other shower goods when you’re traveling. This will protect you from unknown substances (like HPV) that someone could unintentionally spread to you. Additionally, it’s just good hygiene to have your own shower supplies.

Keep Your Hands Moisturized

Dry skin can lead to cracks and cuts, so it’s important to use hand lotion frequently. Keeping your skin moisturized and soft will prevent open wounds that allow HPV to enter your body. This is also true of other viruses and bacteria in your environment; soft, smooth hands are key to good health. 

Don’t Pick at Your Skin and Nails

Skin picking is a common habit, but it can introduce undesirable entities like HPV into your body. When you pick at hangnails or dry skin on your hands, you’re making them more vulnerable to warts. Avoid skin and nail picking to keep your hands free of warts. 

Premium Hand Wart Removal

We offer hand wart removal for patients struggling with unsightly or uncomfortable warts. Our hand-wart treatments don’t take much time in our office. We offer the following hand wart treatments: 

  • Freezing off warts
  • Cutting warts off
  • Stimulating immune responses to get rid of warts

These hand wart removal methods can help you regain smooth skin without much hassle or time. Not everyone gets hand wart removal; some patients want to wait until the wart naturally falls off. This process can take years, so we highly recommend skin wart removal to increase your comfort. 

Hand Wart Removal at Nunnally Dermatology

At Nunnally Dermatology, we have been in business for many years and take pride in our premium hand-wart removal services. Schedule your appointment with us in Baton Rouge, LA, today to get started on your skin wart removal journey.

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