Science Topic: Warts

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Envy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Messages
1,836
Reaction score
178
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Are you aware of warts and the dangers they hide?

Warts and Verruca are the result of certain strains of the HPV virus (Human Papilloma Virus) and are an opportunistic virus - Meaning they are extremely good at finding a new host

The virus can survive for days or months on surfaces (nail files, shower floors etc) And if given any chance to come into contact with broken or damaged skin they can take to the new host.

So have you ever had a client with warts/verruca? Did you take extra precaution?

A client with warts on their fingers should cover them - you and your tools should never come in contact with them for both your and your other clients safety - this virus is easy to spread to all of your clients ...

Ensure that any files you use on a client with warts is disposed of and all surfaces are disinfected with a hospital grade hard surface disinfectant

There is no treatment that a nail technician can gaurantee will work - this is a case for referral to a GP to ensure the treatment is best matched to the degree of infection ... Some warts will go away naturally within a few months/years but others outbreaks can persist for many, many years ...

Once you have these strain/s of HPV you may never get rid of them and even if the 'wart' is removed they may reoccur

As always avoiding contact with abnormalities and ensuring that you do not cross contaminate your clients will keep you safe...
 
A very interesting subject as my 11 year old son always has veruccas and warts and has had them for years. Interestingly he's the only one in the family that suffers from them and we're talking 20 to 30 veruccas and around 5 or 6 warts despite GP treatment.

I've always assumed that some people are more suscepible to them than others. Is this true or could it just be that I'm very careful about making sure he never had bare feet, have a pair of nail clippers that I only use on him etc.

Looking forward to learning more about this topic. Thank you.
 
I've always assumed that some people are more suscepible to them than others. Is this true or could it just be that I'm very careful about making sure he never had bare feet, have a pair of nail clippers that I only use on him etc.

Everyone is capable of catching this virus, up to 10% of the population are believed to be carriers...

Of course if there is no opportunity for the virus to get into your system then you won't get it... It is recommended to keep them covered to avoid spreading the virus (especially in high exposure areas like swimming pools)
 
Useful info .. Thanks Envy :))

I remember seeing on Embarrassing Bodies once that cases of verrucas / warts that are tricky to get rid of may be an indicator that someone has a weakened immune system... ? X
 
This is good to know. I totally thought that warts would only spread if they were open (me being stupid lol) xx
 
Woot! I knew this one! I was bugging my husband about it the other night! XD
 
I have a verrca (or had) it's been there since I house shared with a life Guard 11 years ago, !

It's never got bigger or hurt , the doctos removed it a few tomes over the years ,so have I lol but it just comes back looking like a varruca.

I dont think it is contagious ! None of my family (hubby ,and kids 6 year old 10 and 14 years have ever got one ,

But it dose bug me i do pedicures all the time .... And I've never had one lol cos it is there...

As it's a virus Shuld I ask for some anti vitals or something?
 
I have a verrca (or had) it's been there since I house shared with a life Guard 11 years ago, !

It's never got bigger or hurt , the doctos removed it a few tomes over the years ,so have I lol but it just comes back looking like a varruca.

I dont think it is contagious ! None of my family (hubby ,and kids 6 year old 10 and 14 years have ever got one ,

But it dose bug me i do pedicures all the time .... And I've never had one lol cos it is there...

As it's a virus Shuld I ask for some anti vitals or something?
There is actually no known cure - HPV vaccines do not currently stop you being able to catch warts or verrucas

And yes, it is very much contagious - most carriers have either been born with it or been infected through contact with the virus on abraised/ damaged tissue

this is a far more serious issue than most people realise..
I remember seeing on Embarrassing Bodies once that cases of verrucas / warts that are tricky to get rid of may be an indicator that someone has a weakened immune system... ? X
A weakened immune system would likely lead to more breakouts, but as mentioned above it won't remove the virus
 
Are you aware of warts and the dangers they hide?

Warts and Verruca are the result of certain strains of the HPV virus (Human Papilloma Virus) and are an opportunistic virus - Meaning they are extremely good at finding a new host

The virus can survive for days or months on surfaces (nail files, shower floors etc) And if given any chance to come into contact with broken or damaged skin they can take to the new host.

So have you ever had a client with warts/verruca? Did you take extra precaution?

A client with warts on their fingers should cover them - you and your tools should never come in contact with them for both your and your other clients safety - this virus is easy to spread to all of your clients ...

Ensure that any files you use on a client with warts is disposed of and all surfaces are disinfected with a hospital grade hard surface disinfectant

There is no treatment that a nail technician can gaurantee will work - this is a case for referral to a GP to ensure the treatment is best matched to the degree of infection ... Some warts will go away naturally within a few months/years but others outbreaks can persist for many, many years ...

Once you have these strain/s of HPV you may never get rid of them and even if the 'wart' is removed they may reoccur

As always avoiding contact with abnormalities and ensuring that you do not cross contaminate your clients will keep you safe...

See now this is interesting as I was taught at my college that if someone had a wart or Verruca, it was a contra-indication and we should refuse treatment until they have had the wart removed due to their high level of contagiousness. Yet above you mention about still working on the client and throwing away files used etc. So now I am a little confused. Can we still go ahead then?
 
See now this is interesting as I was taught at my college that if someone had a wart or Verruca, it was a contra-indication and we should refuse treatment until they have had the wart removed due to their high level of contagiousness. Yet above you mention about still working on the client and throwing away files used etc. So now I am a little confused. Can we still go ahead then?

I can't answer that sorry ..
Each country has different laws and contradictions - here we would work on them. BUT if you are not supposed to due to local laws/regulation then stick that or you may void insurance or incur liabilty

Hths
 
I can't answer that sorry ..
Each country has different laws and contradictions - here we would work on them. BUT if you are not supposed to due to local laws/regulation then stick that or you may void insurance or incur liabilty

Hths

Ok, thanks Allen. Will be interesting to see the differences in laws/regulations as we discuss these topics actually.
 
These science topics are great! I was taught to not treat anyone with veruccas or warts as well so think I'll be sticking to that. Great threads Allen!
 
Great threads!!
At our training we were told its our choice, we could still carry out the treatment but as mentioned above we should cover the wart/verruca with a plaster and ideally dispose of abrasives afterwards. Thoroughly disinfect tools (which you do before and after each client anyway) Or if we prefer not to carry out the treatment due to the hight level of contamination we are within our rights to refuse treatment and refer them to their GP for treatment :)
 
If anyones looking for cheap and really effective way of getting rid of warts and the like..apple cider vinegar. I had quite a bad one on my eponychium and used that regularly and it went away and never came back. You soak it with cotton wool and a plaster overnight for a week or two, and then it turns black and should go away. If it does come back repeat and eventually it will go. Im not sure you would want to advise clients on this but for personal use.
 
I had warts as a kid on my hands. My mother used to rub potato peelings on them and they went away.xx
 
I had one wart when I was younger and my mum tried everything, eventually she heard of rubbing fresh dandelions in it and within a week or two it had gone and I've never had one since :)
 
I had warts as a kid on my hands. My mother used to rub potato peelings on them and they went away.xx

We had this old wives tale as well and many people swaer by it, our was cut a potato in half rub the fleshy bit over the wart, the bury the potato ,I think it neede to be done on a full moon and as the moon waned the wart would disapear too. LOL

Not very scientific is it? :D

I was also taught not to touch anyone with Verucas or warts as it is a contra indication

Not very nice for the client though, you cant help it if you have one can you
 
this is a far more serious issue than most people realise..

A weakened immune system would likely lead to more breakouts, but as mentioned above it won't remove the virus


other than looking ugly , getting in the way of a Mani pedi routen , and being contagious they are seemingly harmless ???

or are they ?

why are they a serious issue ?
 
other than looking ugly , getting in the way of a Mani pedi routen , and being contagious they are seemingly harmless ???

or are they ?

why are they a serious issue ?

Now this is a great question!

Most warts pose little harm to the host...
But if they crop up in the wrong place they can be damaging and painful
Around the eye can be extremely painful. Around the nail fold or eponychium and permanently damage the nail unit or matrix

Varuccas can really be painful and often require cutting out if the become too deep.. (they can grow upwards of 15mm deep)

The real concern is it's easy to spread them... I have seen one salon that had an outbreak across nearly a dozen clients and three staff..

All because they did not understand and adhere to hygiene and sanitation. The article below could have saved the business from being shut down by the health board

Sanitation in the salon
 
Brilliant thread Envy :D

I had a wart on my knee as a chid - my gran told me not to pick it or I would bleed to death as they are attached to your veins!! My father told me if you rubbed steak on it, buried said steak then as the steak rotted in the ground, the wart would disappear!

The steak didn't work and I didn't bleed to death when I locked myself in hte bathroom and picked it off ( i was only 10 or 11 ) and haven't had another since.

I must say though, in the house where we live now though, we have cream carpets so invite everyone to remove their shoes at the porch. Since we moved here, both of my children have got verrucas. Both were quite easily treated with over the counter stuff and both now have to wear their slippers or socks indoors just in case it has come from someone who has visited us and walked the virus all over my lovely carpets :(
 

Latest posts

Back
Top