From foot wart to genital wart
Almost everyone has experienced it at some point. Such a disfiguring hardened bulge on your skin: a wart. Or sometimes even several. They sometimes rear their heads, especially on all fours. But what exactly is a wart? And what types are there?
Warts are benign growths of the skin. They are usually caused by a virus: in many cases a variant of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus causes an infection of the skin, causing skin cells to divide faster and form a thicker stratum corneum.
The Latin word for wart is verruca. Warts are often classified according to the place where they are located (mainly hands and feet) or according to the shape (mosaic, thorn, flat, thread-like).
common wart
The common wart (verruca vulgaris) is mainly found on the hands and feet, but also occurs on the knees and elbows. Usually you have several warts at the same time. They are the same color as the skin, are often round, have a hard and rough feel and have a bumpy surface. The size ranges from less than a millimeter to more than a centimeter.
Children in particular often suffer from common warts. Infection often occurs through direct contact, but also through a towel or door handle. The virus spreads throughout the body, so you can get warts in other places as well. scratching and nail biting increase the risk of infection.
old age wart
Small, greasy spots on the skin that are yellow at first and later turn brown or black? These are usually age-related warts, also known as verruca seborrhica or verruca senilis. They occur in people over 50 years of age. You see them mainly on the face, chest, abdomen or back. Age warts are not contagious.
foot wart
The plantar verruca is mainly found on the sole of the foot. There are two types of foot warts: the thorn wart grows in depth and is painful and the mosaic wart that spreads superficially. Foot warts are often stubborn. Infection often occurs in sports halls, swimming pools and communal showers, but also through direct skin contact. Just like regular warts, the foot warts are often skin-colored. They are also often the same size. A plantar wart is sometimes confused with a corn or magpie eye.
flat wart
Flat warts (verruca plana) are, as the word says, often smooth and flat. They are usually skin-colored – sometimes light brown – and a few millimeters in size. You usually find the flat wart on the face, arms or legs.
steel wart
In the face or neck you sometimes see bulges on a small stalk: skin tags (verruca filiformis). These are also usually skin-colored and often do not grow larger than a few millimeters.
water wart
Water warts are not caused by the human papilloma virus, but the molluscum contagiosum virus, a smallpox virus. These warts are highly contagious and occur especially in young children. Water warts are white round bumps, with a well in the middle. When you press on a wart, a white substance comes out. Children often have many warts spread all over the body. It is striking that water warts often occur less on hands and feet.
genital wart
Warts on the genitals and around the anus are a sexually transmitted disease. They are often colored pink-red to brown and have a cauliflower-like surface. Usually genital warts – also called condylomata acuminata – are smaller than one centimeter and sit on a stalk. The genital wart is caused by HPV, but by a different variant than the normal warts. Sometimes they can cause pain, itching or burning when urinating or during intercourse.
And then?
Warts are generally harmless, but can sometimes be accompanied by irritation and eczema. Foot warts sometimes cause pain or discomfort when walking. Most warts disappear on their own within two years. Sometimes they stay longer. If you find the warts very annoying or ugly, you can treat the wart or have it treated by your doctor or dermatologist.
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