The appearance of warts on the skin indicates infection with HPV (human papillomatosis virus). The localization of skin growths on open areas of the body (face, neck, fingers) is perceived as a cosmetic defect and leads to complexes and psychological 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?
Skin growths of a viral nature are considered benign neoplasms. They arise from 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 by sharing household items. The pathogen can enter the body through contact with a contaminated surface on 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, severe stressful situations, poor environment and bad habits. A weakened immune system cannot effectively destroy cells infected with the virus, causing them to multiply rapidly and form the characteristic growths.
How to remove a wart so that several new ones do not appear in its place? All treatment options should be supplemented with antiviral therapy to limit the further spread of the papilloma virus. Another important area is strengthening the immune system. This is the only way to put the virus into "sleep mode" and prevent possible relapses.
Types of warts
How to remove a wart that spoils your appearance and causes constant discomfort? This question should be directed to a dermatologist. The doctor will select the treatment methods taking into account the modification of the virus and the type of tumor. For some warts it is advisable to remove them immediately, for others it is advisable to treat them with medication.
Main forms of warts:
- Simple (vulgar) – rounded growths with a rough surface in the form of a node protruding above the skin.
- Flat are several formations with a dense, smooth surface that almost do not protrude beyond the skin. Children and adolescents are most commonly affected.
- Palmoplantar – painful nodules with a deep root covered with a keratinized layer. Appear in areas of mechanical impact or constant pressure.
- Filamentous – look like elongated growths on a thin stem. Localized in the area of the eyelids, eyes, armpits and groin folds.
- Genital condylomas 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.
Removal of the listed types occurs in different ways. For example, warts on the face cannot be removed using aggressive means or resort to cauterization or freezing of growths. This approach does not exclude the formation of scars and chemical burns. Flat warts tend to cluster together in large groups. In this case, many hardware and chemical removal methods are not suitable except for a special type of laser.
Sometimes skin tumors disappear on their own without treatment. In other cases, a person may not be able to deal with skin growths for years, as some types have a tendency to recur. How to remove a wart so that new formations do not appear in the future? A lot depends on the correct diagnosis and the right treatment tactics.
When should it be deleted?
There is an opinion that removal of benign tumors is not necessary because they do not pose any particular danger. But doctors do not agree with this attitude. Warts on the face affect 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, hygiene procedures, or friction with clothing. An injured wart poses a serious danger as there is a risk of a bacterial infection or even a 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 changes;
- the wart becomes painful and bleeds;
- Plantar warts hurt very much and make walking difficult;
- Genital warts (genital warts) cause discomfort during sexual intercourse, bowel movements and urination.
If there is a risk of malignant degeneration, suspicious tumors should be removed immediately. In such cases, not only 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, surgical intervention is not necessary. To find out how to remove a wart at home, consult a dermatologist. The doctor will recommend a remedy that is optimal for your case. If no result is achieved, you will have to resort to more radical methods - removal of tumors using hardware methods.
Remove warts at home
There are many ways to combat skin growths using special chemicals. These include drugs with keratolytic (peeling), 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 to the procedures.
New growths of a viral nature tend to recur - often several new ones appear at the site of the removed wart. Only comprehensive treatment can help prevent the virus from spreading further. To do this, you also need to take antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs that stop the pathogen from multiplying and ensure stable remission.
The papilloma virus, once it enters the body, remains in it forever. The main goal of complex therapy is to bring it into an inactive state in order to eliminate visible manifestations on the skin. A specialist knows how to get rid of warts at home in order to forever forget about the unpleasant problem. If tumors appear on the skin, you need to see a doctor, undergo a diagnostic examination and only then start treatment.
How to quickly remove a wart at home
The most effective means of combating skin growths include products based on acids, alkalis or liquid nitrogen. Let's take a closer look at how to use it 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 (down to the root), causing the wart to dry out and soon fall off. Caution is required when using the drug. Aggressive alkalis can cause burns to healthy tissue, so the skin around the growth must first be lubricated with petroleum jelly or baby cream. Using a special applicator, apply a small amount of the solution to the wart and wait until it dries completely.
- An improved version of a drug that has since been discontinued. An oily liquid based on phenol and 3-methylphenol has a caustic and mummifying effect. This causes the wart to die and fall 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 localization area 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 has a strong mummifying effect when used. Before using the drug, it is necessary to remove dense, keratinized layers. To do this, it is recommended to steam the formation in hot water or initially use formulations with a keratolytic effect (e. g. salicylic ointment). The solution is carefully applied using a special applicator, being careful not to get it on healthy skin. The process 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 liquid nitrogen wart removal procedure. The drug is produced in cans with an aerosol nozzle. The outlet temperature of the mixture reaches – 57 °C. The cooling composition is applied using a special applicator and held on the growth for 3 to 40 seconds, depending on the type of tumor. Strong cooling of the wart leads to the destruction and necrosis of pathological tissues. A few days after treatment, the formation dies off.
Among other wart removal products, the following drugs are popular:
- Solution based on lactic and salicylic acid;
- Cream paste with glycyrrhizic acid;
- Aerosol for freezing;
- Pencil based on silver nitrate;
- Keratolytic with salicylic acid;
- a drug with a caustic effect based on podophyllotoxin for the treatment of genital warts;
- Gel based on polysaccharides from potato sprouts with antiviral effect;
- Ointment with interferon alpha-2b, which stimulates local immunity.
All of the remedies listed may only be used after consulting your doctor. To achieve the necessary therapeutic effect, the type and structure of the tumor, its localization area and possible contraindications must be taken into account.
How to remove warts on finger
Growths on the fingers are not only an aesthetic problem, but also pose a direct threat to others. The pathogen can easily be transmitted to a healthy person through shaking hands or close contact. It is possible for tumors to be damaged during physical work or hygiene procedures.
How to remove a wart from a finger with the help of medication without resorting to hardware methods? Experts recommend products with a mummifying effect. Using a silver nitrate-based pen gives a good effect, but you 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 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 required. In addition to agents with a cauterizing or necrotizing effect, the use of drugs with antiviral effects is necessary. A dermatologist will advise you on how to get rid of a wart on your finger for good. To stop the spread of the virus, you need to additionally take tablets and treat the growths with gel or ointment with antiviral effects.
How to get rid of a wart on your leg
Removing plantar warts is associated with certain difficulties. These are painful structures with deep roots, the surface of which is covered with a layer of hardened skin. In order for a drug with a necrotic effect to penetrate into the deep structures of pathological tissues, it is necessary to first dampen the growth and clean the softened stratum corneum. Another option is to use a keratolytic agent (such as a patch or ointment containing salicylic acid). Salicylic acid-based products soften and remove dead skin cells.
After preliminary preparation, it is recommended to treat the growth with an alkaline or acidic preparation or use a product with a freezing effect. The most important thing is to destroy the root of the wart, which goes deep into the dermis. Only in this case it is possible to prevent repeated relapses and the appearance of new formations.
Warts on the face cannot be removed using aggressive means. If the skin is sensitive, a chemical burn can occur, which subsequently leads to an unsightly scar. As a result, another cosmetic problem will arise. 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, you should consider the type and location of the warts. For example, when treating multiple flat warts, you should not resort to agents with caustic or mummifying effects. When treating genital warts, medications with a certain concentration of various acids can be used, which are applied locally. To avoid burns, allergic reactions and other side effects, you must first consult a doctor.
Hardware techniques
In addition to medications, hardware methods are often 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 the removal of vulgar, thorn and genital warts. It is based on burning out the growth tissue with electric current. An electrocoagulator is a device that produces electrical waves of a specific frequency. The working nozzle has a loop at the end that instantly heats to a high temperature and cuts off 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, proven and inexpensive method. However, it has a number of disadvantages - the risk of scarring, pain and a long rehabilitation period.
Cryodestruction
Removal of warts using nitrogen or cryodestruction methods – freezing of the formation with subsequent death. This is one of the simplest, bloodless and painless procedures. The wart is treated with an applicator or a directed jet of liquid nitrogen for a few seconds.
The extremely 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. A dry crust stays in place and soon falls off on its own.
Laser removal of warts
To remove warts with a laser, two types of installations are used. Some of them use thermal radiation, which instantly heats and vaporizes the fluid in the pathological cells, destroying them. This type of treatment is used to remove common, threadlike and genital warts. Warts on the soles of the feet cause significant discomfort and are difficult to treat with chemicals. The best results are achieved by removing plantar warts with a laser whose effect is based on thermal radiation.
The second type of laser installation destroys warts by sticking the walls of the blood vessels that supply the tumor. The growth, deprived of its 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).
Distance with a radio knife
This is the latest development that allows tumors to be removed painlessly and bloodlessly. High-frequency radio waves create a strong thermal effect that heats the wart cells and destroys them from the inside. At the same time, radio waves disinfect surfaces and prevent the virus from spreading. 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 allows for quick and painless removal of all types of warts. This is the most modern, safe and effective procedure that guarantees the absence of complications and relapses. Laser radiation destroys wart tissue and simultaneously coagulates blood vessels, preventing the risk of infection. The procedure does not require a long rehabilitation period and eliminates the possibility of scarring.
The cryodestruction process destroys the growth tissue due to extremely low temperatures. This is one of the most accessible and painless procedures. However, 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, equipment used, type and localization area of tumors. The cheapest procedure is electrocoagulation. Second is the cryodestruction method.
The cost of the procedures is also influenced 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 effect is similar to alkali-based chemicals. The plant is harvested during the flowering period, taking precautions to avoid burns.
Warts are treated with fresh juice 3-4 times a day, avoiding contact with healthy skin. You should not expect instant results. It takes 2 to 3 weeks for the growth to dry out and fall off. New growths on the mucous membrane cannot be treated with celandine juice, otherwise a chemical burn cannot be avoided.
Before using folk remedies (celandine juice, vinegar, tea tree oil), consult your doctor and obtain his consent to the procedures.