What Is a Wart on the Hand?
Why Does It Occur and How Is It Treated?

What Is a Wart on the Hand?

Warts on the hand are hard, raised lesions that are most often seen on the fingers and palm and are commonly mistaken for calluses. They are caused by certain types of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

Because they can be transmitted through everyday contact, they are most often seen on the hands, fingers, face and feet. They are particularly common in children and young adults.

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Why Do Warts Occur on the Hand?

Warts are caused by the HPV virus. HPV has more than 300 types, and only some of them cause warts on the hands and fingers.

Scratches, abrasions, cuts and areas where the skin integrity is broken on the hands are the entry points for the virus. For this reason, the risk of developing warts increases in people whose hands are frequently subject to trauma.

What Are the Symptoms of a Wart on the Hand?

Warts that appear on the hand:

• Can take the form of hard structures resembling calluses
• Sometimes look raised like a skin tag
• Can be flat or raised
• Can have a rough surface

If left untreated, they can grow over time or spread to nearby areas.

How Does a Wart on the Hand Go Away?

A wart on the hand can rarely heal on its own. However, the vast majority of patients first try home treatment methods.

Most of the creams and medications used at home do not provide a lasting solution for warts. Due to inadequate treatment, the wart hardens and grows over time, and it becomes more difficult to treat.

Although there are many products marketed as a "definitive solution," most of them are not effective. For this reason, when a wart is detected, seeking medical treatment is a more appropriate approach than waiting for it to go away on its own.

Are Warts on the Hand Contagious?

Warts on the hand and fingers can be contagious. Frequent contact and especially areas where the skin integrity is broken increase the risk of transmission.

However, the fear that it will definitely spread with a single handshake is not correct. The HPV virus usually enters through small wounds in the skin.

Does a Wart on the Hand Itch?

A wart on the hand can cause itching. Pain can also be seen in large warts. For this reason, it is important not to delay treatment.

Treatment of Warts on the Hand – Treatment of Warts on the Finger

One of the most effective methods in the treatment of warts on the hand and fingers is laser application. With laser, the wart tissue is removed in a controlled manner.

Treatments performed at an early stage give faster and more comfortable results.