Facial warts, also called filiform warts, have a finger-like appearance and commonly pop up around the eyelids, face and neck. Due to the delicate area that the warts affect, you should seek treatment through a physician. The doctor is likely to avoid aggressive options, such as surgical excision, due to the risk of scarring that may occur on the face.
Identification
Facial warts, like other types of warts, are caused by the human papilloma virus, or HPV. Facial warts are caused by the following HPV strains: 1, 2, 4, 27 and 29, according to the Wart.org website. Warts on the face are typically painless, but you may feel irritation when touching them. Facial warts are typically flesh colored.
Treatment
At first, your doctor may recommend leaving the wart alone and seeing if it goes away on its own, states the Kids Health website, sponsored by the Nemours Foundation. If the wart does not disappear, the doctor may perform dermatological procedures to get rid of it. Cryotherapy involves the freezing off of the wart by applying liquid nitrogen to the site. You may need multiple applications over the course of several months to kill the virus causing the wart. Laser therapy uses concentrated energy to destroy the facial wart, but you may require multiple sessions.
Considerations
Salicylic acid medications are available over-the-counter for warts on the face. The salicylic acid in the wart removal medication promotes peeling to remove the wart. You may need to apply the medication for several weeks until the wart completely disappears.
Prevention
Warts can easily spread from person to person. You may infect others with the wart-causing virus by sharing towels, razors and other personal items that come in contact with your face. You can also spread warts on the face to other areas of the body. To prevent this from occurring, wash your hands if you do touch the facial wart.
Warning
Never try to pull off or cut off a wart on the face at home. Risks of doing this include bleeding, infection and scarring.
