Warts
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Decisions regarding aesthetic facial surgery are very personal. We believe that any given facial feature can only be a problem if the patient perceives it as such. Our approach to each patient is uniquely tailored to their facial features, and is highly individualized.
Because of the elective nature of aesthetic facial surgery, our approach is systematic, thorough, and has safety, balance, and a natural-appearing result as it's core principle.
The initial consultation focuses on three areas: the patient's desires and areas of concern, the evaluation of the patient's features, and lastly, evaluating the patient's desired outcome in light of their surrounding facial features, and underlying skeletal structure.
A dynamic and collaborative approach works best to promote a common understanding of the desired results. It is essential for prospective patients and surgeon to share a common surgical goal and paradigm of surgical success.
Our approach is based on interrelated goals formulated over the years. The first and foremost goal is achieving a result that is as natural-appearing as possible. We tell prospective patients that is far better to remain as they are than to undergo surgical procedures that leave them with an unnatural or "operated on" appearance. The best aesthetic surgery does not draw attention to itself and does not convey a "something is not right here" appearance to the observer.
The concept of aging well is key. We have now followed patients for many years and have been pleased to find that our patients have indeed continued to age in a naturally-appearing way. When referring patients to our practice, one colleague in our community often tells them, "You pay as much for what he doesn't do as for what he does."
This captures our philosophy.
As always, you can contact our office to answer any questions or concerns.
Warts are small, harmless growths that appear most frequently on the hands and feet. Sometimes they look flat and smooth, other times they have a dome-shaped or cauliflower-like appearance. Warts can be surrounded by skin that is either lighter or darker. Warts are caused by different forms of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). They occur in people of all ages and can spread from person-to-person and from one part of the body to another. Warts are benign (noncancerous) and generally painless. They may disappear without any treatment. However, in most cases eliminating warts takes time.
The location of a wart often characterizes its type:
Common warts can appear anywhere on the body, although they most often appear on the back of fingers, toes and knees. These skin-colored, dome-shaped lesions usually grow where the skin has been broken, such as a scratch or bug bite. They can range in size from a pinhead to 10mm and may appear singly or in multiples.
Filiform warts look like a long, narrow, flesh-colored stalk that appears singly or in multiples around the eyelids, face, neck or lips. They are sometimes called facial warts. They may cause itching or bleeding, but are easy to treat with over-the-counter medications.
Flat (plane) warts appear on the face and forehead. They are flesh-colored or white, with a slightly raised, flat surface and they usually appear in multiples. Flat warts are more common among children and teens than adults.
Genital warts appear around the genital and pubic areas. It is also possible to get genital warts inside the vagina and anal canal or in the mouth (known as oral warts). The lesions start small and soft but can become quite large. They often grow in clusters. They are both sexually transmitted and highly contagious. In fact, it is recommended you generally avoid sex with anyone who has a visible genital wart. Genital warts should always be treated by a physician.
Plantar warts appear on the soles of the feet and can be painful since they are on weight-bearing surfaces. They have a rough, cauliflower-like appearance and may have a small black speck in them. They often appear in multiples and may combine into a larger wart called a mosaic wart. Plantar warts can spread rapidly.
Subungual and periungual warts appear as rough growths around the fingernails and/or toenails. They start as nearly undetectable, pin-sized lesions and grow to pea-sized with rough, irregular bumps with uneven borders. Subungual and periungual warts can impede healthy nail growth. Because of their location, they are difficult to treat and generally require medical attention.
Most warts respond to over-the-counter treatments, including:
- Cryotherapy, which freezes off the wart using liquid nitrogen or nitrous oxide.
- Electrosurgery, which sends an electric current through the wart to kill the tissue.
- Laser surgery, which essentially heat up the wart until the tissue dies and the wart eventually falls off.
- Nonprescription freezing products (dimethyl ether), aerosol sprays that freeze the warts and cause them to die off.
- Salicylic acid preparations, which dissolve the protein (keratin) that makes up the wart and the thick layer of skin that covers it. It comes in gels, pads, drops and plasters and takes 4 to 6 weeks to eradicate the warts.
If self-treatments don't work after a period of about 4 to 12 weeks, contact our dermatologist. We'll assess your warts and recommend the best option.
Always contact the dermatologist if a wart is causing pain, changes in color or appearance and for all genital warts.