The appearance of warts on the skin indicates infection with HPV (human papillomatosis virus). The location 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 papilloma virus is contagious and can be transmitted through contact. In this article we will talk about how to get rid of warts and which control methods are considered 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 papilloma virus, which enters the body through microdamages in the skin. Infection occurs through close contact with an infected person or 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 exacerbations of chronic illnesses, severe stressful situations, a bad environment, and bad habits. A weakened immune system cannot effectively destroy cells infected by the virus, causing them to multiply rapidly and cause characteristic growths to appear.
How to remove a wart so that several new ones do not appear in its place? Any treatment options must be complemented with antiviral therapy to curb the spread of the papillomavirus. Strengthening the immune system is another important area. This is the only way to put the virus in "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 treated with medication.
Main forms of warts:
- Simple (vulgar) - rounded protuberances with a rough, nodule-shaped surface that rises above the skin.
- Flat - these are multiple formations with a dense, smooth surface, almost not protruding above the skin. It most often affects children and adolescents.
- Palmoplantar - painful nodules with a deep root, covered by a keratinized layer. They appear in areas of mechanical impact or constant pressure.
- Thread-shaped - look like oblong protrusions on a thin stem. Located in the region of the eyelids, eyes, armpits and inguinal folds.
- Genital condylomas have a lobular structure and resemble papillomas in appearance. They form in the perineal region and genitals.
Other common types of neoplasms include nailfold warts and senile keratomas.
Removal of the listed types is carried out in different ways. For example, warts on the face cannot be removed with aggressive means, nor resort to cauterization or freezing of growths. This approach does not exclude the formation of scars and chemical burns. Flat warts tend to merge into large groups. In this case, many hardware removal methods and chemicals are not suitable, except a special type of laser.
Sometimes skin tumors go away on their own without any treatment. In other cases, a person cannot deal with skin growth for years, as some varieties have a tendency to recur. How to remove a wart so as not to face the reappearance of new formations in the future? Much depends on the correct diagnosis and correctly selected treatment tactics.
When should it be deleted?
There is an opinion 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 make it difficult to communicate 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 items of clothing. An injured wart poses a serious danger, as there is a threat of bacterial infection and even malignant degeneration.
In what situations is it necessary to seek medical help urgently?
- skin growth grows rapidly and increases in size;
- the shape and color of the neoplasm changes;
- 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 must 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 neoplasm is painless and does not cause concern, it is not necessary to resort to surgical intervention. To learn how to remove a wart at home, consult a dermatologist. The doctor will recommend an ideal medicine for your case. If there is no result, you will have to resort to more radical methods - removal of tumors by hardware methods.
Removing warts at home
There are many ways to combat skin growth using special chemicals. These include medicines 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 know the type of training and only then proceed with the procedures.
New growths of a viral nature are prone to recurrence - often several new ones appear at the site of the removed wart. Only comprehensive treatment will help prevent the spread of the virus. To do this, you need to additionally take antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs that will prevent the pathogen from multiplying and ensure a stable remission.
The papillomavirus, once it enters the body, remains in it 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 a tumor appears on the skin, it is necessary to consult a doctor, undergo a diagnostic examination and only then begin treatment.
How to quickly remove a wart at home
The most effective ways to combat skin growth include products based on acids, alkalis or liquid nitrogen. Let's take a look at how to use them to remove warts at home.
- 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 structure of the growth (to the root), as a result of which the wart dries up and soon falls off. Caution should be exercised when using the medicine. Aggressive alkali can cause chemical burns to healthy tissue, so the skin around the bump must first be lubricated with petroleum jelly 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 medicine that has already 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 medicine is available in the form of a colorless solution which, when used, has a powerful mummifying effect. Before applying the medicine, it is necessary to remove dense, keratinized layers. To do this, it is recommended to steam the formation in hot water or first 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 intervals of 1 day.
- A drug 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 mixture outlet temperature reaches – 57 °C. The refreshing composition is applied with a special applicator, keeping it on the growth for 3 to 40 seconds, depending on the type of tumor. Sharp cooling of the wart leads to 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;
- aerosol for freezing;
- silver nitrate-based pencil;
- keratolytic agent with salicylic acid;
- a medicine 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 only be used after consultation 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 its location and possible contraindications.
How to remove warts on your finger
Growths on fingers are not only an aesthetic problem, but also a direct threat to other people. The pathogen can be easily 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 on your finger with the help of medicines, without resorting to hardware methods? To do this, experts advise using products with a mummifying effect. Using a silver nitrate-based pencil gives a good effect, but you shouldn't expect quick results from this method.
Before removing a wart on your finger, consult your doctor. Perhaps the best solution is to use products with a freezing effect. With the help of such medicines, 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 a cauterizing or necrotizing effect, it is necessary to use drugs with an antiviral effect. A dermatologist will advise you on how to get rid of a wart on your finger once and for all. To prevent the spread of the virus, it will be necessary to additionally take pills, treat neoplasms with a 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 deep-rooted formations, the surface of which is covered with a layer of keratinized skin. In order for a drug with a necrotic effect to penetrate the deep structures of pathological tissues, it is necessary to first vaporize the growth and cleanse the softened stratum corneum. Another way is to use a keratolytic agent (for example, a salicylic acid patch or ointment). 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 from chemical burns, which subsequently form an unpleasant 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, the type and location of the warts must be taken into account. For example, when treating multiple flat warts, you should not resort to agents with a cauterizing or mummifying effect. In the treatment of genital warts, medications with a certain concentration of various acids can be used, which are applied pointwise. To avoid burns, allergic reactions and other side effects, you must first consult a doctor.
Hardware Techniques
In addition to medicines, hardware methods are widely used to combat warts. Some of them have been used for decades, others were recently developed and are considered the most advanced and safe.
Electrocoagulation
This method is recommended for removing vulgar, plantar and genital warts. It is based on burning the growing tissue with electric current. An electrocoagulator is a device that generates electrical waves of a certain frequency. The working nozzle has a handle at the end, which instantly heats up to a high temperature and cuts tumors, while cauterizing blood vessels to prevent bleeding and infection of the surgical field.
In just one session, you can remove several growths at once. This is an old, time-tested and inexpensive method. But it has a number of disadvantages - the risk of scarring, pain and a long period of rehabilitation.
Cryodestruction
Removal of warts with nitrogen or cryodestruction procedure - freezing of the formation with its subsequent death. This is one of the simplest, bloodless and painless procedures. The wart is treated with an applicator or 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 opens and dries. A dry crust remains in its place and soon falls off on its own.
Laser wart removal
Two types of facilities are used to remove warts with a 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 remove vulgar, filiform and genital warts. Warts on the soles of the feet cause significant discomfort and are difficult to treat with chemicals. Removing 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 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 radium knife
This is the latest development that provides 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 carried out using a high-frequency radio wave device. 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 recurrences. Laser radiation destroys the wart tissue and at the same time coagulates the blood vessels, avoiding the risk of infection. The procedure does not require a long period of rehabilitation and eliminates the possibility of scar formation.
The cryodestruction procedure destroys growing tissue due to ultra-low temperatures. This is one of the most affordable and painless procedures. But if you incorrectly calculate the depth of exposure, a scar may remain on the skin. When using liquid nitrogen, complete curing 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, equipment used, type and area of location of the tumors. The cheapest procedure is electrocoagulation. Second is the cryodestruction method.
The cost of procedures is also affected by the region of residence.
Removing 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 alkali-based chemicals. The plant is harvested during the flowering period, taking care to avoid burns.
Warts are treated with fresh juice 3 to 4 times a day, avoiding contact with healthy skin. You shouldn't expect instant results. It will take 2 to 3 weeks for the growth to dry out 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.