Children and adolescents in particular suffer from flat warts, also known as plane warts. These warts are slightly raised and often grow on the hands and fingers. Under certain circumstances, they can spread and form entire wart beds, for example on the back of the hand.
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Flat warts are medically known as verrucae planae (flat warts). They are medically harmless. Many sufferers remove them for cosmetic reasons.
Flat warts usually form
They are usually the same color as the surrounding skin. Sometimes they also look
in color. The surface of flat warts is soft and often has fine dots. Flat warts usually do not cause any pain.
These and many other warts are caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV). They are transmitted by smear infection. This means that they get onto the skin by touching contaminated surfaces or infected people. The viruses then use cracks in the skin or open wounds to enter the body. There they multiply and can form warts.
As a rule, however, an intact immune system can fight off the viruses well. Many warts, including flat warts, often disappear on their own.
People with a weak immune system, for example, have an increased risk of HPV infection and the development of warts:
Flat warts occur quite frequently in children and adolescents because their immune system is not yet fully developed. These warts are then known as verrucae planae juvenilis.
Flat warts are slightly raised and usually skin-colored © Olena | AdobeStock
The causative agents of flat warts are human papillomaviruses. To date, around one hundred different HPV types have been identified.
These viruses belong to the group of DNA viruses. DNA viruses infect the uppermost first layer of skin, the epithelial cells, and also some mucous membranes. The infected cells then proliferate uncontrollably in this skin layer and form warts in this way.
Infection usually occurs through direct contact with an infected person. However, it is also possible via contaminated surfaces. Infected persons can shed virus-laden skin flakes. They can be transmitted by touch, for example by walking barefoot in a swimming pool or sauna.
However, theprerequisites for the formation of warts are
With intact skin and a strong immune system, the HP viruses cannot settle in the skin.
After infection, it can take several months for a visible flat wart to form.
Like all warts, flat warts are generally not malignant. However, if in doubt, you should consult a dermatologist. They can usually tell at first glance whether it is a wart, and if so, exactly what type of wart it is.
Small skin growths are not always warts. They could also be calluses or corns. Malignant tissue changes, such as skin cancer, cannot be ruled out either. The dermatologist can recognize this by the irregular colors and edges of the growth.
If the diagnosis is unclear or skin cancer is suspected, the dermatologist will take a tissue sample. This is examined in the laboratory.
Like many other warts, flat warts can disappear on their own after several years without scarring. It can take this long for the immune system to learn how to deal with the HP viruses.
However, as there are several strains of HPV, other HP viruses can still cause other warts.
Most of those affected find flat warts visually disturbing and therefore wish to have them removed. Flat warts can also promote skin diseases such as neurodermatitis. It is therefore safer to treat them.
There are several methods of wart removal available today. Some of them can be carried out at home. If in doubt, however, you should consult a doctor. He or she will make an accurate diagnosis and help you decide on a form of treatment.
Under no circumstances should you try to cut or scratch a wart. This can cause highly infectious viruses to escape.
Products for cauterizing warts are available over the counter in pharmacies. The active ingredients are usually salicylic acid or lactic acid. Vitamin A acid is also available. This acid is often preferred for flat warts on the face. It is known from acne therapy.
The patient applies a layer of the product to the wart surface two to three times a day. This is dissolved and turns white. After some time, the affected skin layer can simply be peeled off. You must proceed with caution. If you injure areas of skin that have not been cauterized, viruses can enter or leave the area. This could cause the wart to spread further.
Repeat this procedure until the wart has been removed. Wart removal by cauterization usually takes three to four weeks.
Plasters and Vaseline can also contain corrosive substances.
When cauterizing, you must ensure that only the wart comes into contact with the solution. Otherwise, healthy skin can also be damaged.
Icing is a very effective method for removing flat warts. This is also known as cryotherapy. In this procedure, liquid nitrogen is applied to the wart using a spray or a cold probe. This creates temperatures of up to -196 °C.
These extremely low temperatures create ice crystals in the tissue cells, which destroy the cells. The wart tissue dies and after a few days the wart falls off by itself.
Cold sprays are freely available in pharmacies. When treating yourself, it is important to practise hitting the wart accurately beforehand, e.g. on a piece of paper. Otherwise you could injure healthy skin.
The doctor uses a cold probe. This allows him to apply the liquid nitrogen precisely to the wart. As the treatment can also be very painful, sensitive people and children can be given a local anaesthetic beforehand.
A blister often forms a few hours after the treatment. Under no circumstances should you pierce or remove this, otherwise viruses may escape.
Studies show that cryotherapy is more promising than cauterization. In fifty percent of all cases, flat warts heal better after freezing. If the flat warts were cauterized, only 15 percent disappeared.
Cryotherapy for flat warts @ Evgeniy Kalinovskiy /AdobeStock
Flat warts can also be removed with a laser. A local anesthetic is administered before the treatment. The doctor then removes the wart layer by layer with the laser.
However, wart remnants often remain. You should therefore be prepared for the flat warts to return and the treatment to be repeated.
Laser treatment for flat warts @ Evgeniia /AdobeStock
If flat warts cannot be removed in any other way, the doctor uses a "wart spoon", a sharp instrument. This allows him to cut the wart out of the skin. This is a surgical procedure that is performed under local anesthesia.
Not only flat warts enjoy a moist environment, but also many other warts. Therefore, do not walk barefoot in the swimming pool or sauna area. Always wear bathing shoes. This prevents other people's germs from reaching your body in the first place.
Do not lend your towel to others. Dry yourself well between your fingers and toes after washing so that no warts can develop there.
Towels, underwear and bed linen should always be washed at 60° C or higher. This destroys the viruses.
A stable immune system is particularly important. The immune system is the body's most important defense when pathogens have entered the organism. You can support your immune system with a healthy lifestyle. This includes not only a healthy diet, but also sufficient exercise and as little stress as possible.
Various relaxation techniques can be helpful against mental stress. These include, for example, the active relaxation technique "Progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson" or autogenic training.
