Warts on Hands and Fingers

Do you have questions about warts that grow on fingers? This article was written to provide you with the answers that you’re looking for.

Warts are the second most common dermatological complaint there is, with acne being the most common dermatological complaint. Developing warts on  fingers is nothing to be ashamed of. However, most people who have them are at least somewhat embarrassed by their presence. But rest assured, these ugly little growths can be effectively treated and removed.

What Causes Warts on Fingers?

Finger warts are very common, especially on the hands and fingers of children. The culprit that causes warts on fingers is a virus known as the human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus is responsible for all the types of warts that people can get. HPV is contagious and is typically spread by direct contact. However, indirect contact may also be responsible for infection.

There are known to be over 100 different strains of the human papillomavirus. Only about 60 of these strains are the cause of the majority of warts. The other 40 or so strains are most always sexually transmitted. But there are a few strains that can develop on hands and fingers that may also be spread to the genitals. In some cases genital warts are thought to be the cause of cervical cancer in women.

What Types of Warts Grow on Hands and Fingers?

The vast majority of warts that grow on hands and fingers are known as common warts. These are usually relatively small, but can become large and elevated above the skin. Most often they are flesh colored, but they may also be pinkish or white.

Periungual and subungual warts are the two types that most commonly occur on fingers around the fingernails. Of these two, subungual warts are the most difficult to treat. This is due to the fact that they usually grow under fingernails. As these types of warts grow it can push the fingernail out away from the nail bed, causing a great deal of pain.

Warts growing on the Palm’s of people’s hands are generally known as, Palmer warts. All of these types can on occasion grow on areas other than the hands and fingers.

Can Warts on Fingers be Prevented?

While it’s not possible to prevent warts 100% of the time, there are many things that can be done to reduce the chances of infection. Some people however are more susceptible to developing warts than others. Children are by far the most likely to develop warts, and girls are slightly more likely to develop them than boys.

Children who are known to bite their fingernails are the most likely to develop warts on their fingers. Biting one’s fingernails can create small cuts in the skin around the fingernails making a place for the virus to enter the skin. Therefore, eliminating nail biting will help prevent becoming infected with HPV.

The sharing of toys either at home or on a playground is another place where children often become infected. Children should be encouraged to wash their hands thoroughly immediately after sharing toys or playing at the playground.

While at home children should be assigned one hand towel and one bath towel each. Eliminating the sharing of towels will eliminate one more possible place for a person to become infected.

The daily disinfection of items commonly touched or shared by children or anyone in your household will help prevent getting warts. The human papillomavirus can live on surfaces for an extended period of time. Household bleach applied to surfaces were HPV may be living will kill the virus.

Will Finger Warts Go Away Without Treatment?

Warts will generally go away completely on their own without treatment. However, it can take many months and possibly even years for this to happen. For a person who has warts on their fingers, that amount of time is unacceptable.

Most dermatologists recommend removal of warts as quickly as possible after discovering them. That’s the best way to prevent spreading them to other parts of the body or two other people.

What Treatments Are Most Effective For Removing Finger Warts?

The number of treatments available for the removal of warts regardless of where on your body they are his numerous. But with that said, not all treatments are 100% effective. Furthermore, as long as the virus still lives within a person’s body they are at risk of having warts regrow.

Typically people begin by trying home remedies first. If none of these are effective for an individual, they will move on to over-the-counter treatments. Only after trying all of these home removal methods do people typically seek treatment from a physician. For the vast majority however home treatment will achieve the desired results.

One home remedy that is known to be effective in the majority of cases is through the use of duct tape. This process is known as, duct tape occlusion. To begin this treatment place a small piece of duct tape directly on the wart. Leave the tape on the wart for six days. Remove the tape and soak the wart and water then scrape the wart gently with either a pumice stone or Emery board. Then continue to repeat this process until the wart is gone.