The appearance of warts on the skin indicates an HPV (human papillomatosis virus) infection. The localization of skin growths on open areas of the body (face, neck, fingers) is perceived as an aesthetic defect and becomes the cause of psychological complexes and problems. The papilloma virus is contagious and can be transmitted through contact. In this article we will talk about how to get rid of warts and what control methods are considered the most effective.
Why do they appear?
Viral skin growths are considered benign neoplasms. They are formed due to the multiplication of the papilloma virus, which enters the body through microdamage to the skin. Infection occurs through close contact with an infected person or through sharing household items. The pathogen can enter the body through contact with a contaminated surface in transport or public places.
The active formation of growths is facilitated by a decrease in immunity caused by a number of unfavorable factors. These include recent illnesses or exacerbation of chronic diseases, severe stressful situations, inadequate environment and bad habits. A weakened immune system cannot effectively destroy cells infected by the virus, causing them to multiply rapidly and produce characteristic growths.
How to remove a wart so that several new ones do not appear in its place? Any treatment option should be complemented with antiviral therapy to curb the further spread of the papillomavirus. Strengthening the immune system is another important area. This is the only way to put the virus into "sleep" mode and eliminate possible relapses.
Types of warts
How to remove a wart that spoils your appearance and causes constant discomfort? This question should be addressed to a dermatologist. The doctor will select treatment methods taking into account the modification of the virus and the type of tumor. Some warts are recommended to be removed immediately, while others are recommended to be treated with medications.
Main forms of warts:
- Simple (vulgar) - rounded growths with a rough surface in the form of a nodule rising above the skin.
- Flat - are multiple formations with a dense and smooth surface, almost not protruding above the skin. It most often affects children and adolescents.
- Palmoplantaris: painful nodules with a deep root, covered with a keratinized layer. They appear in areas of mechanical impact or constant pressure.
- Thread-like: They look like oblong growths on a thin stem. Located in the area of the eyelids, eyes, armpits and inguinal folds.
- Genital warts have a lobular structure and resemble papillomas in appearance. They form in the perineal area and on the genitals.
Other common types of neoplasms include periungual warts and senile keratomas.
Removing the listed types is done in several ways. For example, warts on the face cannot be removed by aggressive means, nor resort to cauterizing or freezing the growths. This approach does not exclude the formation of scars and chemical burns. Flat warts tend to coalesce into large clusters. In this case, many hardware and chemical removal methods are not suitable, except for a special type of laser.
Sometimes skin cancers go away on their own, without any treatment. In other cases, a person cannot cope with skin growths for years, as some varieties tend to recur. How to remove a wart to avoid the reappearance of new formations in the future? Much depends on the correct diagnosis and correctly selected therapeutic tactics.
When should it be cancelled?
It is believed that it is not necessary to remove benign tumors, since they do not pose a particular threat. But doctors do not agree with this attitude. Warts on the face spoil the appearance, cause psychological problems and cause difficulties in communicating with people.
Growths on other exposed parts of the body (arms, neck, head, décolleté) can be accidentally damaged during shaving, during hygiene procedures or rubbed with clothing. A wounded wart represents a serious danger, since there is a risk of bacterial infection and even malignant degeneration.
In what situations is it necessary to urgently seek medical help?
- skin growth grows rapidly and increases in size;
- the shape and color of the neoplasm change;
- the wart becomes painful and bleeds;
- plantar warts hurt a lot and make walking difficult;
- Genital warts (genital warts) cause discomfort during sexual intercourse, defecation and urination.
If there is a risk of malignant degeneration, suspected tumors should be removed immediately. In such cases, not only a person's health, but also a person's life depends on the correct and qualified actions of a doctor.
If the tumor is painless and does not cause concern, surgery is not necessary. To find out how to remove a wart at home, consult a dermatologist. Your doctor will recommend a remedy that will be optimal in your case. If there are no results, you will have to resort to more radical methods: removing tumors using hardware methods.
Removing warts at home
There are many ways to combat skin growths using special chemicals. These include drugs with keratolytic (exfoliating), cauterizing and mummifying effects. A dermatologist will tell you which wart removal product to choose. You should not self-medicate: first you need to find out the type of formation and only then proceed with the procedures.
New growths of a viral nature are subject to recurrence: several new ones often appear at the site of the removed wart. Only comprehensive treatment will help prevent further spread of the virus. To do this, it is necessary to additionally take antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs that will prevent the multiplication of the pathogen and ensure stable remission.
Once papillomavirus enters the body, it remains there forever. The main goal of complex therapy is to transfer it to an inactive state to eliminate visible manifestations on the skin. A specialist knows how to get rid of warts at home to forget about the unpleasant problem forever. If tumors appear on the skin, it is necessary to consult a doctor, undergo a diagnostic examination and only then start treatment.
How to quickly remove a wart at home
The most effective ways to combat skin growths include products based on acids, alkalis or liquid nitrogen. Let's take a closer look at how to use them to remove a wart at home.
- An aqueous solution based on potassium and sodium alkali which, when applied to a neoplasm, causes necrosis (death) of its tissues. Caustic alkalis penetrate deep into the growth structure (to the root), as a result of which the wart dries out and soon falls off. You need to be careful when using the drug. Aggressive alkalis can cause chemical burns to healthy tissue, so the skin around the growth should first be lubricated with petroleum jelly or baby cream. Using a special applicator, apply a small amount of solution to the wart and wait for it to dry completely.
- An improved version of a drug that has now been discontinued. An oily liquid based on phenol and 3-methylphenol has a cauterizing and mummifying effect. As a result, the wart dies and falls off. To avoid chemical burns, do not allow the solution to contact healthy skin. Before the procedure, you need to apply a zinc paste to the area around the wart. The growths are treated point by point, lubricating 3-4 times and waiting for the liquid to be absorbed. The number of procedures is from 4 to 10, depending on the type and area of localization of the wart.
- An effective Swiss-made product based on a combination of different acids (lactic, oxalic, acetic, nitric). The drug is available in the form of a colorless solution, which, when used, has a powerful mummifying effect. Before applying the drug, it is necessary to remove dense, keratinized layers. To do this, it is recommended to steam the formation in warm water or for the first time use formulations with a keratolytic effect (for example, salicylic ointment). The solution is carefully applied with a special applicator, taking care not to get on healthy skin. The procedure is repeated several times, with breaks of 1 day.
- A drug that destroys wart tissue by freezing it. The active ingredients, a mixture of dimethyl ether and propane, have the same effect as the procedure for removing warts with liquid nitrogen. The drug is produced in cans with an aerosol nozzle. The outlet temperature of the mixture reaches – 57 °C. The refreshing composition is applied with a special applicator, holding it on the growth from 3 to 40 seconds, depending on the type of tumor. Strong cooling of the wart leads to destruction and necrosis of pathological tissues. A few days after treatment, the formation dies.
Among other wart removal products, the following drugs are popular:
- solution based on lactic and salicylic acid;
- cream paste with glycyrrhizic acid;
- freezing aerosols;
- silver nitrate pencil;
- keratolytic agent with salicylic acid;
- a drug with a cauterizing effect based on podophyllotoxin for the treatment of genital warts;
- gel based on potato sprout polysaccharides with antiviral effect;
- ointment with interferon alfa-2b, stimulating local immunity.
Any of the listed remedies can be used only after consulting your doctor. To achieve the necessary therapeutic effect, it is necessary to take into account the type and structure of the tumor, the area of its localization and possible contraindications.
How to remove warts on the finger
Growths on the fingers are not only a cosmetic problem, but also a direct threat to others. The pathogen can easily be transmitted to a healthy person through a handshake or close contact. It is possible that tumors are damaged during physical work or during hygiene procedures.
How to remove a wart from a finger with the help of drugs, without resorting to hardware methods? To do this, experts recommend using products with mummifying effect. The use of a pencil based on silver nitrate gives a good effect, but you should not expect quick results from this method.
Before removing a wart from your finger, consult your doctor. Perhaps the best solution would be to use products with a gelling effect. With the help of such drugs you can get rid of large growths in just 5-7 days.
Sometimes several new warts appear at the same time at the site of the removed tumor. In this case an integrated approach is needed. In addition to agents with cauterizing or necrotizing effect, it is necessary to use drugs with antiviral effect. A dermatologist will advise you how to get rid of a wart on the finger once and for all. To stop the spread of the virus, you will additionally need to take pills, treat growths with gel or ointment with antiviral activity.
How to get rid of a wart on the leg
Removing plantar warts presents some difficulties. These are painful formations with a deep root, the surface of which is covered with a layer of keratinized skin. In order for a drug with a necrotic effect to penetrate into the deep structures of pathological tissues, it is necessary to first vaporize the growth and clean the softened stratum corneum. Another way is to use a keratolytic agent (for example, a patch or ointment with salicylic acid). Salicylic acid products soften and exfoliate dead skin cells.
After preliminary preparation, it is recommended to treat the growth with any preparation containing alkali or acid or use a product with a freezing effect. The most important thing is to destroy the root of the wart, which penetrates deep into the dermis. Only in this case is it possible to prevent repeated relapses and the appearance of new formations.
Aggressive means can not be used to remove warts on the face. Delicate skin can suffer a chemical burn, which subsequently forms an unsightly scar. As a result, another cosmetic problem will appear. It is recommended to eliminate tumors on the face using gentle methods (for example, removing a wart with a laser).
When choosing a treatment method, it is necessary to take into account the type and location of warts. For example, when treating multiple flat warts, one should not resort to agents with cauterizing or mummifying effect. When treating genital warts, you can use drugs with a certain concentration of various acids, which are applied pointwise. To avoid burns, allergic reactions and other side effects, you should first consult a doctor.
Hardware techniques
In addition to drugs, hardware methods are widely used to combat warts. Some of them have been used for decades, others were developed recently and are considered the most advanced and safe.
Electrocoagulation
This method is recommended for the removal of vulgar, plantar and genital warts. It is based on burning the growth tissue with an electric current. An electrocoagulator is a device that generates electrical waves of a certain frequency. The working nozzle has a ring at the end, which instantly heats to a high temperature and cuts tumors, simultaneously cauterizing blood vessels to prevent bleeding and surgical field infections.
In one session, you can remove multiple growths at once. This is an old, time-tested and economical method. But it has a number of disadvantages: the risk of scarring, pain and a long rehabilitation period.
Cryodestruction
Removal of warts with nitrogen or cryodestruction procedure: freezing of the formation with subsequent death. This is one of the simplest, bloodless and painless procedures. The wart is treated using an applicator or a direct stream of liquid nitrogen for a few seconds.
The ultra-low temperature (-196°C) ensures rapid freezing and destruction of pathological tissues. A blister forms at the site of the wart which soon opens and dries up. In its place remains a dry crust that soon falls off on its own.
Laser wart removal
To remove warts with laser, two types of installations are used. Some of them use thermal radiation, which instantly heats and evaporates the liquid inside the pathological cells, destroying them. This type of treatment is used to remove vulgar, filiform and genital warts. Warts on the soles of the feet cause considerable discomfort and are difficult to treat with chemicals. Removal of plantar warts with a laser, the action of which is based on thermal radiation, gives the best results.
The second type of laser installation destroys warts by gluing the walls of the blood vessels feeding the tumor. The growth, deprived of blood supply, soon dies and falls off, leaving clean skin in its place. This type of laser is ideal for removing multiple flat warts (including those on the face).
Removal with a radio knife
This is the latest development, which allows painless and bloodless removal of tumors. High-frequency radio waves produce a powerful thermal effect that heats the wart cells and destroys them from the inside. At the same time, radio waves disinfect surfaces and prevent the spread of the virus. The method is quite expensive and is performed using a high-frequency radio wave apparatus. Used to remove all types of warts.
Laser or nitrogen removal: which is better?
Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages. The laser allows for quick and painless removal of all types of warts. This is the most modern, safe and effective procedure, ensuring the absence of complications and relapses. Laser radiation destroys the wart tissue and at the same time coagulates the blood vessels, preventing the risk of infection. The procedure does not require a long rehabilitation period and eliminates the possibility of scar formation.
The cryodestruction procedure destroys the growth tissue due to ultra-low temperatures. This is one of the most accessible and painless procedures. But if you incorrectly calculate the depth of exposure, a scar may remain on the skin. When using liquid nitrogen, complete healing takes 10 to 14 days.
How much does it cost to remove a wart?
The cost of wart removal services depends on the technique used, the equipment used, the type and area of localization of tumors. The cheapest procedure is electrocoagulation. In second place is the cryodestruction method.
The cost of the procedures also depends on the region of residence.
Removal of warts with celandine
Celandine is a medicinal plant, the juice of which has long been used to cauterize skin growths. Its action is similar to alkaline-based chemicals. The plant is harvested during the flowering period, taking the necessary precautions to avoid sunburn.
Warts are treated with fresh juice 3-4 times a day, avoiding contact with healthy skin. You should not expect immediate results. It will take 2 to 3 weeks for the growth to dry out and fall off. Neoplasms located on the mucosa cannot be treated with celandine juice, otherwise a chemical burn cannot be avoided.
Before using any folk remedies (celandine juice, vinegar, tea tree oil), consult your doctor and obtain his approval for the procedures.