Hair Growth From Warts

Warts can be an unsightly problem, and even worse if the wart is accompanied by hair growth. But a hairy wart is relatively common and little cause for concern 2. Warts are usually easily treatable through at-home or in-office medical procedures.

Causes

All warts stem from the same virus: the human papillomavirus, commonly abbreviated to HPV. Warts are a contagious condition, spread through person-to-person contact or through exposure to a surface contaminated with HPV.

Types

Earlobe Wart

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Warts are typically divided into three types: plantar, dome and flat. Plantar warts occur on the bottom of the feet; dome warts on toes, fingers or knees; and flat warts elsewhere on the body. Although any kind of wart is capable of sustaining hair growth, it's most common with the flat wart type, as these warts are more likely to appear in an area with follicles underlying the skin 12.

Symptoms

Warts generally first appear as a small bump on the skin, growing with time. Hair growth generally occurs in warts left untreated for an extended period, as it takes time for the hair to grow long enough to break through the surface of the wart.

Appearance

Hard Bumps on a Child's Skin

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Depending on the type, warts may appear as a small to large bump on the surface of the skin with a small black dot in the middle, a capillary that develops to carry blood to the wart. As the wart develops, one or more follicles of hair may grow directly from the surface of the wart. Because the appearance can be similar to an infection caused by an ingrown hair follicle, it's important to get the correct diagnosis of a wart with hair growth before proceeding with treatment.

Treatment

Hair growth from a wart can be trimmed or shaved without concern, although this doesn't eliminate or reduce the appearance of the underlying wart. Over-the-counter treatment with salicylic acid or in-office freezing of a wart by a dermatologist using liquid nitrogen are the two most common ways to kill a wart 2.