There is no denying that having warts can cause a lot of embarrassment. Did you know that there are certain types of warts that can take away more of your self-confidence because they are highly noticeable? They are called filiform warts, and this article will get you introduced to them.
Read on to know some of the most important matters about filiform warts such as their causes and symptoms, as well as how they are treated. Share this article on your various social media sites afterwards to have your family and friends introduced to filiform warts, too.
Filiform warts are sometimes called facial warts due to the fact that they tend to appear on various parts of the face, such as on the eyelids and lips. However, it is very much possible for filiform warts to appear elsewhere on the body like the neck and fingers. As expected, they can easily spread around.
What makes filiform warts different from warts that we are all accustomed to is the way they look. You see, filiform warts tend to extend 1 to 2 millimeters from the skin, which only means that they are highly noticeable! They can also come in various colors, ranging from brown, pink to yellow.
Causes
Just like other forms of warts known to man, filiform warts are also caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. This is the reason why filiform warts are considered as highly contagious. They can spread from one part of the body to the other, and they can also easily spread from person to person.
There are more than 100 types of HPV out there, but only a few strains of them are known to cause filiform warts. But just -because you are infected with any of those filiform wart-causing viruses doesn’t mean right away that you will end up with filiform warts. It will depend on how strong and efficient your immune system is.
Filiform warts, just like what’s mentioned earlier, are highly contagious. You can get it from a person who has them if you happen to come into contact with those unsightly growths. Your risk of ending up with filiform warts is higher if your immune system is weakened and you have a skin cut or abrasion.
Symptoms
Generally speaking, filiform warts do not produce any symptoms. However, since they can grow on just about any part of the body, they can produce unfavorable symptoms if they choose to show up on sensitive areas, like in skin folds. With such being the case, filiform warts may cause irritation, itchiness and bleeding.
During the advanced stages of filiform warts, it is very much possible for them to bleed. This can pose added problems as it can make the spreading of HPV, their root cause, a lot easier. As a result, it is very much possible for new filiform warts to appear on other parts of the body, or on the body of another individual!
Earlier, it was mentioned that filiform warts extend from the skin. Usually, they project 1 to 2 millimeters from their bases. As a result, filiform warts can be highly noticeable, leaving anyone who has them feeling embarrassed. Adding to such is the fact that filiform warts usually appear on the face.
Treatment
Filiform warts tend to go away on their own as the person’s immune system is capable of dealing with them. But there are also a variety of treatments available for filiform warts nowadays. Some of them include excision, curettage and cryotherapy. Lasers and chemicals may be used for stubborn ones.
Unfortunately, various treatments for filiform warts only get rid of the warts themselves but not the virus that’s causing them. This means that it is possible for new warts to simply appear. However, these days there are vaccines that are able to zap certain strains of HPV, in particular those that can cause filiform warts.