subject: Debunking The Common Myths About Warts [print this page] There surely are a bunch of myths floating around about warts, aren't there? For starters, some people actually believe that you can get warts from touching a frog! (This is, by the way, completely untrue. The bumps on a toad's skin are actually glands, not warts.) Besides the myths that are basically fairy tales, there are plenty of myths floating around that people actually believe. For example, surely you have heard that a little bit of duct tape will cure an unwanted wart, right? To help you understand what is truth and what is fiction when it comes to warts, here are some of the biggest and most common myths about warts, debunked.
MYTH: All warts are the same, because all of them are the result of the human papilloma virus (HPV).
TRUTH: While all warts do stem from the human papilloma virus, not all HPV outbreaks are created equally. There are over one hundred different kinds of HPV; thus, the plantar warts on the bottom of your feet are quite different from sexually transmitted warts.
MYTH: Potatoes, duct tape, nail polish, and garlic are all efficient treatments for warts.
TRUTH: These folksy wart remedies have been floating around for years. Sure, some people may attest to success from remedies like nail polish or duct tape. However, there is no clinical evidence to support that these methods of treatment are effective. The rumor surrounding duct tape as a wart remedy is that the duct tape works by "suffocating" the wart, but there is no scientific logic that would back that theory up.
MYTH: A wart can be cut out at home. You don't need to go to a doctor.
TRUTH: Attempting to cut a wart yourself can result in infection and scarring. Never, ever try to perform any sort of medical procedure such as this one on your own. Instead, go to a doctor for this sort of procedure. The truth of the matter is that while some doctors will physically cut away the wart, the vast majority use either laser treatments or liquid nitrogen treatments to eradicate warts. The liquid nitrogen treatments (also referred to as "freezing") are usually the first method used when treating a patient's warts. The procedure is a simple and brief one, and is usually performed by a nurse practioner in less than fifteen minutes. While some patients report minor pain, most find the procedure effective after two or three treatments.
