Flat warts are benign tumors and they usually occur
in children. Flat warts are only about the size of
a pinhead and end in a point off the skin. They are
smoother than other kinds of warts and have flat tops.
Flat warts can affect any area of the body but usually
appear on the face, fingers, hands, arms and knees
and sometimes in clusters with as many as a hundred
together. Even though flat warts are so small, they
may have a negative effect on the child's self image
and occasionally they itch or hurt.
There are many other names given to flat warts such
as juvenile warts, periungual warts, plantar
warts, verrucas and subungual warts. Flat warts
are similar to the color of the skin and can therefore
be pink, light brown or yellow. They are never blue
and you can safely ignore the - old wives tale - that
frogs and toads can give you warts.
What Causes Flat Warts?
Flat Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)
family. There are at least sixty types of HPV viruses.
Scratching or picking flat warts can spread them through
the blood stream so it is important to prevent children
from doing this. Warts can be hard to get rid of because
the thick layers of skin make it difficult for medication
to reach the virus that causes them. Sometimes, treatment
for flat warts is unnecessary and the warts go
away on their own while other times, they increase
in size and number.
It is always advisable to avoid direct skin contact with a wart on someone else and to educate your children to wash their hands and skin regularly and well. If your child cuts or scratches his skin, be careful to use soap and water to thoroughly cleanse the area because open wounds are more susceptible to warts and other infections.
About twenty five per cent of warts disappear within six months and most will go away in two to three years. Although they may seem like a nuisance to your child, flat warts are quite common in childhood and usually cause no serious problems.
Resources
*http://www.kidsheath.org
*http://medschool.ucsd.edu
* http://www.aad.org
