WARTS
Safe and Effective Compounding for Warts
Warts, otherwise known as Verruca Vulgaris, are small bumps or impurities in the skin. Verruca, a high or steep place, was applied to the term Warts because they resemble hills or high places on the skin. Compounding treatment for warts can resolve impurities by offering various methods of curing.
What are Warts?
Warts are small, benign growths of skin that are caused by one’s top layer of skin becoming infected. Warts are contagious and can be spread through direct contact with the impurity or contact with the infected skin area. Warts come in many colors, shapes, and forms, as they can be both raised or flat, smooth or rough, brown, gray, or neutral colored.
Common Types of Warts
Common Warts:
-Typically grow on hands and fingers
-They primarily infect broken skin, such as bitten fingernails
-They form a rough raised bump
-They commonly affect children and adolescents
Foot Warts (Plantar Warts):
-They are painful when walking or running
-Appear on the balls or heels (hard surfaces) of one’s foot
-Tend to contain “seeds,” which appear as black dots
Flat Warts:
-Occur on the face (for children), the beard and neck area (for males), and the legs (for females)
-Typically very smooth compared to other Warts
-Smaller than most other types of warts
-They come in groups and up to 100 can appear at a time
Filiform Warts:
-Longer, more raised bumps that tend to stick out further than most
-Tend to infect the face as they appear primarily around the eyes, nose, and mouth area
-Grow rapidly compared to other types of Warts
Treating Warts
Warts can resolve themselves without medication or treatment, which is especially common in children. However, patients with pain or discomfort, various areas of infected skin, or individuals with Warts that have not self-resolved should seek treatment. It is important to make patients aware that Warts can reappear and be persistent, so they are advised to set realistic treatment expectations. Treatment strategies may vary due to age, type of wart, and a patient’s personal preferences; treatment strategies include:
- Blistering:
This form of treatment is often painful and is not advised for young children. Blistering removes blood supply to the infected area. - Chemical Blister:
It is a solution made of compounds that are rubbed on the infected area; it then causes a blister to form underneath the skin and remove the Wart. This is one of the faster methods, as patients typically experience relief in a matter of roughly a week. - Excision: It is important to note that excision may cause scarring, as this treatment is when a minor surgical procedure takes place to cut out the wart.
- Bleomycin: This treatment is known to be painful and can even cause side effects such as fingernail loss. However, bleomycin is an anti-cancer treatment that has been shown to be effective.
- Laser removal: Laser removal is not commonly a first resort for treatment as it is painful and may lead to scarring. This is a procedure that kills affected tissue by laser.
- Chemical Peels: Chemical peels are often used to remove flat Warts using glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and tretinoin. Patients can use this form of treatment daily, and while it may be cost-efficient, it is not the most time efficient.
- Electrosurgery: This is a highly effective treatment for all kinds of Warts; however, it does take around two to four weeks to heal the previously infected area of skin fully.
- Cryotherapy: This is the process of using liquid nitrogen to freeze Warts, and it may take multiple treatment sessions to be entirely successful. This is a fairly common practice in many teenagers and adults.
- Immuno-Stimulation: Immunotherapy is a last resort after other methods of treatment have not removed the Wart and resolved the infected area of the skin. There are two main types of immunotherapy, interferon, and allergic stimulation. Both are used on Warts that have remained persistent through other treatments, and with compounding, this form of therapy may be effective.
Pharmacy Solutions tailor and customize treatment methods for every kind of patient with every type of Wart. Many treatments are based on an individual’s personal preferences and pain tolerance, but there are options available for all patients. Effective Wart removal may vary from case to case; however, our pharmacists are trained for every sort of Wart-related infection, and we are happy to help our patients find the treatment that is right for them!