Auckland Skin and Cancer Foundation

Postal Address

247 Remuera Road
Remuera
Auckland 1050

Contact Details

Phone (09) 520 5885
Email mail@skincancer.co.nz
Healthlink EDI: aklskinc

Use our online enquiry facility

Warts

There are three main types of wart infections that occur on our body: common warts, plantar warts and venereal warts (genital warts).
 
Common warts
These are caused by a slow-growing virus. Warts are more common in children and are caught from direct contact with someone else who has warts.  Most people have had warts at some stage in their lives.
To look at they have a rough, irregular surface and are usually round in shape. They often appear on the hands, feet or knees.
 
Plantar warts
Also known as verrucas, these occur most often on the soles of the feet.  They can be very tender, as they take the pressure of movement.
They are skin-coloured and have a slightly irregular surface.  They can grow larger than a common wart.  As these are painful, they usually need to be removed or treated.  They are generally harder and more painful to treat than the common wart.
 
Treatment
There are many over-the-counter treatments available, but most warts will disappear over time (around 18-24 months) with or without treatment, especially in children.
If the wart has become painful or unsightly, it can be treated.  Types of treatment are as follows:
 
After most of these treatments, the area will need to have a dressing and to be kept clean and dry.  If the wart is surgically removed a hole is left that will need to heal on its own.
Once a wart has been removed or treated there is no guarantee that it will not return and in a number of cases they do recur.
 
Remember to get your doctor to look over your warts next time you are visiting, as some skin cancers are very much like warts.

https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/private/dermatology/auckland-skin-and-cancer-foundation/