Warts complications and prevention

Complications

• Some people who have many warts, especially on their face, may find their self-confidence is affected.


• Some treatments may cause pain and irritate the skin around the wart.


• Although scarring is possible, it is unusual.


• It is harder to successfully treat warts if the patient has a weakened immune system.


• People with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of their warts becoming malignant. Even so, this is rare. 

Prevention

• Do not touch other people's warts.


• Do not use towels, flannels or other personal items of people who have warts.


• Do not share shoes and socks with a person who has verrucas.


• Do not scratch your warts or verrucas. If you do they will most likely spread.


• Wear sandals when going into and out of communal showers.


• Wear sandals when walking around communal pools.


• Cover your wart/verruca with a waterproof plaster (band aid) when you go swimming.


• There are special socks you can buy to cover verrucas.


• Wear gloves in the gym if you have warts on your hands.


• Do not brush, comb, shave, clip areas that have warts.


• When filing or cutting your nails do not use the same utensil on the infected nail and then on the healthy nails.


• Do not bite your fingernails if you have warts near them.


• Keep your hands as dry as possible.


• Wash your hands thoroughly after touching a wart.