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 a cosmetic defect and becomes the cause of psychological complexes and problems. The papillomavirus 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?
Skin growths of a viral nature are considered benign neoplasms. They are formed due to the multiplication of the papillomavirus, which enters the body through microdamage to the skin. Infection occurs through close contact with an infected person or by sharing household items. The pathogen can enter the body through contact with a contaminated surface in transport or in 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 illnesses, serious stressful situations, bad environment and bad habits. A weakened immune system cannot effectively destroy cells infected with the virus, causing them to multiply rapidly and causing the characteristic growths to appear.
How to remove a wart so that several new ones do not appear in its place? Any treatment option must be complemented by antiviral therapy to curb further spread of the papillomavirus. Strengthening the immune system is another important area. Only in this way can the virus be put into "sleeping" mode and eliminate possible relapses.
types of warts
How to remove a wart that spoils the appearance and causes constant discomfort? This question should be directed 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 medication.
Main forms of warts:
- Simple (vulgar) - rounded growths with a rough nodule-shaped surface rising above the skin.
- Flat: these are multiple formations with a dense and smooth surface, which almost does not protrude from the skin. It most frequently affects children and adolescents.
- Palmoplantar: painful nodules with a deep root, covered with a keratinized layer. They appear in areas of mechanical impact or constant pressure.
- Thread-shaped - they look like oblong growths on a thin stem. Located in the area of the eyelids, eyes, armpits and inguinal folds.
- Genital condylomas have a lobular structure and in appearance resemble papillomas. They form in the perineal area and in the genitals.
Other common types of neoplasms include periungual warts and senile keratomas.
Removing the listed types is done in different ways. For example, warts on the face cannot be removed with aggressive means or resorting to cauterization or freezing of growths. This approach does not exclude the formation of scars and chemical burns. Flat warts tend to coalesce into large groups. In this case, many chemical and hardware removal methods are not suitable, except for a special type of laser.
Sometimes skin tumors disappear on their own, without any treatment. In other cases, a person cannot cope with the skin growths for years, as some varieties tend to reappear. How to remove a wart so as not to encounter the reappearance of new formations in the future? Much depends on the correct diagnosis and correctly selected treatment tactics.
When should it be removed?
There is an opinion that benign tumors do not need to be removed, 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 difficulties in communicating with people.
Growths on other exposed parts of the body (arms, neck, head, décolleté) can be accidentally damaged by shaving, during hygiene procedures, or by rubbing with clothing. An injured wart represents a serious danger, since there is a risk of bacterial infection and even malignant degeneration.
In what situations is it necessary to seek urgent 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 threat of malignant degeneration, suspected tumors should be removed immediately. In such cases, not only a person's health, but also his life depends on the correct and qualified actions of the doctor.
If the neoplasm is painless and does not cause concern, it is not necessary to resort to surgical intervention. To find out how to remove a wart at home, consult a dermatologist. The 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.
Remove 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; you must first find out the type of training and only then proceed with the procedures.
New growths of a viral nature are prone to reappear; 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 stop the multiplication of the pathogen and ensure stable remission.
The papillomavirus, once it enters the body, remains there forever. The main goal of complex therapy is to transfer it to an inactive state in order 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 any tumor appears 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 consider in more detail how to use them to remove a wart at home.
- Aqueous solution based on potassium and sodium alkali that, 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 up and soon falls off. Caution should be exercised when using the medication. Harsh alkalis can cause chemical burns to healthy tissue, so the skin around the growth should first be lubricated with Vaseline or baby cream. Using a special applicator, apply a small amount of solution to the wart and wait until it dries 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 come into contact with healthy skin. Before the procedure, zinc paste should be applied 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 location of the wart.
- An effective Swiss-made product based on a combination of several 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 vaporize the formation in hot water or use formulations with a keratolytic effect for the first time (for example, salicylic ointment). The solution is carefully applied with a special applicator, taking care not to get it on healthy skin. The procedure is repeated several times, with breaks of 1 day.
- Medication that destroys wart tissue by freezing. The active ingredients, a mixture of dimethyl ether and propane, have the same effect as the liquid nitrogen wart removal procedure. The medicine is produced in cans with an aerosol nozzle. The outlet temperature of the mixture reaches – 57 °C. The cooling composition is applied with a special applicator, holding it on the growth for 3 to 40 seconds, depending on the type of tumor. Sharp cooling of the wart leads to the destruction and necrosis of pathological tissues. A few days after treatment, the formation disappears.
Among other wart removal products, the following medications are popular:
- solution based on lactic and salicylic acid;
- creamy paste with glycyrrhizic acid;
- freezing sprays;
- silver nitrate based pencil;
- keratolytic agent with salicylic acid;
- a drug with a cauterizing effect based on podophyllotoxin for the treatment of genital warts;
- gel based on polysaccharides from potato sprouts with antiviral effect;
- ointment with interferon alfa-2b, which stimulates local immunity.
Any of the listed remedies can be used only after consulting with 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 localization and possible contraindications.
How to remove warts on fingers.
Growths on fingers are not only an aesthetic 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 for tumors to be damaged during physical work or during hygiene procedures.
How to remove a wart from a finger with the help of medications, without resorting to hardware methods? To do this, experts advise using products with a mummifying effect. The use of a pencil based on silver nitrate gives a good effect, but one should not expect quick results from this method.
Before removing a wart on your finger, consult your doctor. Perhaps the best solution would be to use products with a freezing effect. With the help of these medications, you can get rid of large growths in just 5 to 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 required. In addition to agents with a cauterizing or necrotizing effect, it is necessary to use drugs with an antiviral effect. A dermatologist will advise you how to get rid of a wart on your 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 your leg
Removing plantar warts presents certain difficulties. These are painful formations with a deep root, the surface of which is covered by 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 first necessary to vaporize the growth and cleanse the softened stratum corneum. Another way is to use a keratolytic agent (for example, a patch or ointment with salicylic acid). Salicylic acid-based products soften and exfoliate dead skin cells.
After preliminary preparation, it is recommended to treat the growth with any preparation containing alkalis or acids 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 it is possible to prevent repeated relapses and the appearance of new formations.
Aggressive means cannot 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 remove tumors on the face using gentle methods (for example, removing a wart with a laser).
When choosing a treatment method, the type and location of the warts should be taken into account. For example, when treating multiple flat warts, agents with a cauterizing or mummifying effect should not be used. In the treatment of genital warts, medications with a certain concentration of various acids can be used, which are applied punctually. To avoid burns, allergic reactions and other side effects, you should first consult a doctor.
Hardware techniques
In addition to medications, hardware methods are widely used to combat warts. Some of them have been used for decades, others have been developed recently and are considered the most advanced and safest.
Electrocoagulation
This method is recommended for the removal of common, plantar and genital warts. It is based on burning the growth tissue with an electrical current. An electrocoagulator is a device that generates electrical waves of a certain frequency. The working nozzle has a loop on the end that is instantly heated to a high temperature and cuts tumors while cauterizing blood vessels to prevent bleeding and infection of the surgical field.
In a single session, you can remove several growths at once. This is an old, proven 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 and its subsequent death. This is one of the simplest, bloodless and painless procedures. The wart is treated using an applicator or a directed stream of liquid nitrogen for a few seconds.
The ultra-low temperature (-196 °C) guarantees rapid freezing and destruction of pathological tissues. A blister forms at the site of the wart, which soon breaks open and dries out. In its place remains a dry scab that soon falls off on its own.
Laser wart removal
Two types of facilities are used to remove warts with laser. Some of them use thermal radiation, which instantly heats and evaporates the liquid inside pathological cells, destroying them. This type of treatment is used to eliminate common, filiform and genital warts. Warts on plants cause significant discomfort and are difficult to treat with chemicals. The best results are given by the removal of plantar warts with a laser, whose action is based on thermal radiation.
The second type of laser installation destroys warts by gluing the walls of the blood vessels that feed the tumor. The growth, deprived of blood supply, soon dies and falls off, leaving clean skin in its place. This type of laser is best for removing multiple flat warts (including those on the face).
Removal with radio knife.
This is the latest development that allows painless and bloodless tumor removal. High-frequency radio waves produce a powerful thermal effect that heats 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 device. It is used to remove all types of warts.
Laser or nitrogen removal: which is better?
Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. The laser provides quick and painless removal of all types of warts. This is the most modern, safe and effective procedure, guaranteeing the absence of complications and relapses. Laser radiation destroys wart tissue and at the same time coagulates 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 growing 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 location of the tumors. The most economical procedure is electrocoagulation. Second is the cryodestruction method.
The cost of procedures is also affected by the region of residence.
Remove warts with celandine
Celandine is a medicinal plant whose juice has long been used to cauterize skin growths. Its action is similar to that of alkaline-based chemicals. The plant is harvested during the flowering period, taking precautions to avoid burning.
Warts are treated with fresh juice 3-4 times a day, avoiding contact with healthy skin. You should not expect instant results. The growth will take 2 to 3 weeks to dry and fall off. Neoplasms located on the mucous membrane 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 get his approval for the procedures.