Warts are common skin growths that can reappear, even years after seemingly disappearing. Understanding their cause and factors contributing to their return helps in management.
Warts and the Human Papillomavirus
Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Over 100 types of HPV exist, but only a few lead to skin warts. When HPV enters the skin, often through small cuts, it prompts extra cell growth, forming a wart.
HPV is highly contagious, spreading through direct skin-to-skin contact or indirectly via contaminated surfaces. Touching another’s wart or sharing items like towels, razors, or nail clippers can transmit the virus. Even without visible warts, an infected person can still spread it.
Reasons for Warts Returning
Warts can return, even years later, because HPV can remain dormant in the body. After a wart is treated and vanishes, the virus may not be entirely eradicated from skin cells. This state, viral latency, means HPV persists at low, undetectable levels within the basal layer of the skin.
A weakened immune system can reactivate dormant HPV. Factors like stress, poor nutrition, certain illnesses, or immunosuppressant medications can compromise the body’s ability to suppress the virus. When immune surveillance declines, latent HPV reactivates, leading to new warts in the same or different locations. Re-infection is another pathway for recurrence, either from auto-inoculation or new external exposure. HPV can spread by touching a wart and then another skin area.
Strategies to Prevent and Address Recurrence
Preventing warts involves consistent hygiene and skin protection. Avoid direct contact with warts, on oneself or others, to limit viral spread. Wash hands frequently, especially after touching any wart, to remove viral particles.
Protecting skin from injury and keeping it moisturized reduces viral entry points. Wear flip-flops or shoes in public areas like locker rooms, showers, and pools to prevent HPV contact, as the virus thrives in warm, moist environments. Refraining from nail-biting or picking at cuticles also helps maintain skin integrity.
If warts reappear, prompt action can prevent them from becoming larger or spreading. Seek professional medical advice for any wart that is painful, bleeding, growing, or changing in appearance. A healthcare provider can offer various treatment options and guidance, especially for individuals with compromised immune systems who may experience persistent or recurring warts.