Periungual warts

Where Do You Find Periungual Warts?

Periungual warts develop around the fingernails or toenails or beneath them.  It can become painful as it grows in size.  Periungual warts cannot be left untreated for a long time because it can cause the nails to get detached from the nail beds.  Without the nail to protect the nail bed, they become open to the elements and to infection.

What Causes Periungual Warts?

HPV, the wart-causing virus can be easily transferred from person to person by direct contact.  Periungual warts can be contracted by touching objects that have been used by infected individuals or when they go barefooted in public areas.  People who pass their time biting their nails or tearing at their cuticles could be candidates for periungual warts infection because these activities can wound the skin surrounding the nails.

The beauty salon could be one of the culprits for spreading the HPV virus.  Regular manicures and pedicures can put the individuals at high risk for periungual warts.  You should make sure that the establishment practices good sanitation rules and that the crew observe hygiene by frequently washing their hands after servicing each client.  One sure fire way of avoiding the exposure to HPV virus (if you do not have it yet) or spreading it (if you have it already) is by bringing your own manicure/pedicure kit to the salon.

How to Prevent the Development of Periungual Wart

The American Academy of Dermatology1 has issued some tips on the proper care of nails to preclude infection.   The golden rule is to keep the nails clean and dry all the time.   The proper way of cutting the toenails and the fingernails is straight with a slight curve in the middle to preclude development of ingrown nails.  Wear shoes of the right size and if you are wearing socks, the material should be made of cotton for better air circulation so that the feet will not soak in perspiration for a long time.

Periungual Wart Removal


Periungual warts can be dealt with effectively even at home using medicines bought over the counter.  Some of the medicines are made of natural ingredients which are a lot safer and milder on the skin compared to medicines which contain salicylic acid.  Nonetheless, the objective of these medicines is to progressively disperse the wart.  Like in all medications, you should watch out for signs of allergic reaction to the medication like burning, itching, and redness.

Another method of wart treatment is by applying a duct tape over it and leaving it there for a number of days.  But this might not work for periungual warts that grow on the fingers or beneath the nails.

At times these kinds of warts might not be responsive to over-the-counter medicines or home remedies.  If the wart has become a source of pain or discomfort, it should now be brought to the doctor for treatment. One type of medication may use is applying cantharidin on the warts and covering it with a plaster.  Cantharidin is a substance that is extracted from the green blister beetle. The substance is supposed to cause kin beneath the wart to blister and separate the wart from the skin.  As the blister gets well, the wart will automatically come out with together with the dried skin.

Bleomycin is another medicine that can be used to cure warts.  It is primarily a medicine to cure cancer.  Bleomycin is injected directly into the wart.  This method has been effective for plantar warts, though recently, in diluted doses, it was discovered that it can also be effectual for treating periungual warts with minor negative effects.

Adult individuals that suddenly develop a lot of warts should go see a doctor.  In general it is unusual for adults to have sudden wart outbreaks.  This can be a symptom of some illness that is causing the deterioration of the immune system.  A thorough physical check up with blood tests could very well determine if the individual has some illness that is causing the wart outbreak.