Warts / Viral Skin

Q I have more than 10 warts on my hand. Is it actually possible to get rid of them completely?

A. Multiple warts can be completely removed with treatment. However, the more lesions there are, the longer the treatment period (6–12 months), and the higher the risk of recurrence. A combination treatment that addresses both lesion removal and immune reinforcement is the most effective approach for multiple warts.

Q My child with atopic dermatitis has molluscum contagiosum spreading severely. Is the atopic dermatitis making it worse?

A. Children with atopic dermatitis have a damaged skin barrier and weakened local immunity, making them much more susceptible to molluscum contagiosum infection and rapid spreading. Scratching due to atopic itching further injures the skin, causing molluscum lesions to increase explosively. Treating both atopic dermatitis and molluscum simultaneously is essential, and the range of topical steroid use must also be adjusted.

Q My husband is on immunosuppressants after a kidney transplant and suddenly developed a lot of warts on his feet. Is the treatment different from regular wart treatment?

A. Organ transplant patients on immunosuppressants have significantly reduced immune surveillance against HPV, causing warts to spread rapidly with high treatment resistance. Additionally, the risk of HPV-related skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) is tens of times higher than in the general population, making regular dermatology check-ups essential. Korean medicine treatment focuses on immune support, but must be started only after consulting with the transplant physician.

Q I have warts on my hand. How should I manage them in daily life? I am especially worried about spreading them to others at work.

A. Warts can spread through direct skin contact, but transmission through routine contact like handshakes is rare. Contact with wounded skin or indirect contact through shared objects is more dangerous. Covering the wart area with a waterproof bandage during treatment and washing hands frequently can greatly reduce the risk of spreading to coworkers.

Q My child got molluscum contagiosum at school. How do I prevent it from spreading to other siblings at home?

A. Molluscum contagiosum can spread among family members through direct skin contact and sharing towels and bathing supplies. Separating bath towels and bathtub use, and teaching children not to scratch the lesions, are the most important prevention measures. Starting treatment reduces the risk of spread, and siblings with atopic dermatitis need to be especially careful.

Q Something like a wart has appeared in my genital area. Is it the same as a regular wart? I heard it could become cancer and am very worried.

A. Genital warts are caused by HPV types 6 and 11, and these types are in the low-risk group that rarely causes cancer. However, HPV types 16 and 18 are directly related to cervical cancer, anal cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer, so specialist diagnosis and HPV type confirmation is essential. Genital warts are not an indication for Korean medicine treatment and must first be accurately diagnosed by a gynecology or urology clinic.

Q Can I take herbal medicine while using salicylic acid patches? Will they conflict?

A. Salicylic acid topical agents and internal herbal medicine generally have no major problems when used together since they have different mechanisms of action. Salicylic acid is a topical agent that locally dissolves wart calluses, while herbal medicine is an internal medicine that strengthens systemic immunity — their roles are different. However, if there is severe skin irritation or inflammation at the topical application site, it is advisable to consult the responsible oriental medicine doctor or physician before proceeding.

Q I had warts on my hands removed with cryotherapy, but they reappeared a few months later. Why do they keep recurring, and when will they be completely gone?

A. Wart recurrence occurs when HPV, which is dormant in the skin, reactivates when immunity weakens. Even if the lesions are removed through treatment, recurrence will occur if the HPV itself is not completely eradicated. Once the immune system completely suppresses the HPV, one can live without recurrence, and in most cases, the condition stabilizes within 1 to 2 years of consistent treatment.

Q My 5-year-old child has warts on the sole of the foot. Do warts in children go away on their own? I'm not sure if treatment is necessary.

A. Children's warts have a higher natural healing rate than adults, with 65–78% resolving spontaneously within 2 years. However, if plantar warts cause discomfort when walking or are rapidly increasing in number, it is better to start treatment. Whether to treat is decided by considering pain, rate of spread, and the child's psychological burden together.

Q I am a worker in my 30s living in Dong-gu, Incheon. I suddenly got multiple bumpy spots on the back of my hand. Are warts caused by a virus? Why did so many appear so suddenly?

A. Warts are skin lesions caused by infection of epidermal keratinocytes by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV has more than 200 types, and common warts (verruca vulgaris) are mainly caused by HPV types 2 and 4. When immunity is weakened or the skin has minor abrasions, contact infection is more likely to occur, which can make it look as if many appeared suddenly at once.

Q My child is in 2nd grade of elementary school. We live in Dong-Incheon, and small round bumps appeared on my child's torso. The dermatologist said it was molluscum contagiosum. Is it different from regular warts?

A. Molluscum contagiosum is caused by a completely different poxvirus (molluscum contagiosum virus), not HPV. It is characterized by pearlescent papules with a small central dimple, and spreads through skin contact or sharing towels and bathing supplies. It is very common in children and mostly resolves naturally within a few months to 2 years, but scratching can cause autoinoculation and spread.

Q Warts keep coming back. Would eating immune-boosting foods help? What foods are good?

A. The stronger the cellular immunity against HPV, the more likely warts are to naturally heal and the less often they recur. Zinc, vitamins C, D, and E are known to help skin immunity and HPV suppression. A balanced diet and sufficient sleep are the basics of immunity management, and Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi, Yi Yi Ren) is a food traditionally used in Korean medicine to suppress warts.

Q If I have plantar warts, will they spread further if I go to a public bathhouse or swimming pool? How should I be careful in my daily life?

A. HPV can survive for several hours in warm and humid floor environments, so it can be transmitted on the floors of public bathhouses, swimming pools, and fitness locker rooms. The key preventive measure is to avoid walking barefoot on shared floors and to use personal slippers. It is important not to touch the wart area, as scratching or picking at it can cause self-inoculation and further spread.

Q How many visits are needed for Korean medicine wart treatment at the clinic? It is difficult for me to go frequently as a working person.

A. Korean medicine wart treatment generally proceeds with 2 visits per week for the initial 2–4 weeks, then once a week as it stabilizes, for a total course of 2–3 months. External treatments are performed at clinic visits, while herbal medicine is taken at home, so working people can proceed with visits during lunch breaks or after work. The schedule varies based on the number and condition of lesions.

Q There are various wart treatment methods such as cryotherapy, salicylic acid, and laser. Which treatment should I get first?

A. Wart treatment generally starts with methods that have less pain and fewer side effects. Salicylic acid self-application is the first line, cryotherapy is second, and if there is further resistance, laser and immunotherapy proceed in stages. The appropriate treatment varies by location, size, number, and age, so specialist judgment is important.

Q How is wart treatment performed in Korean traditional medicine? I would like to know the order in which treatment is received.

A. Dongjedang’s Korean traditional medicine treatment for warts consists of three stages: initial constitutional diagnosis → prescription of internal herbal medicine → combined external treatment. External treatments utilize the application of castor oil, washing with a decoction of Coix seeds, and acupuncture stimulation. Depending on the size of the lesion and the immune status, the decision to combine Western medical treatments, such as cryotherapy, is made together.

Q I am a college student in my 20s. I have received cryotherapy three times, but my plantar warts keep recurring. Can warts get rid of with traditional Korean medicine treatment?

A. Traditional Korean medicine offers complementary effects in suppressing wart recurrence and strengthening immunity. External treatments involve the direct application of castor oil or a decoction of ephedra, while internal prescriptions utilize antiviral and immune-boosting medications. Combining traditional Korean medicine with recurrence prevention and constitutional improvement after lesions have been removed through Western treatments such as cryotherapy can enhance long-term efficacy.

Q I have flat warts on my face, and I heard that they sometimes disappear on their own if left alone. Do I not need to get treatment?

A. Warts may disappear naturally if the immune system is sufficient. The natural cure rate for common warts and flat warts within two years is known to be approximately 60–70%. However, since facial flat warts pose a significant cosmetic problem and can spread if scratched, active treatment is recommended rather than neglecting them.