The appearance of warts on the skin indicates infection with HPV (human papillomatosis virus). Localization of skin growths on open areas of the body (face, neck, fingers) is perceived as a cosmetic defect and becomes the cause of 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 methods of control 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 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, poor environment, and bad habits. A weakened immune system cannot effectively destroy cells infected with the virus, causing them to multiply rapidly and cause the characteristic growths to appear.
How to remove a wart so that several new ones do not appear in its place? Any treatment options should be supplemented with antiviral therapy to curb 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 advised to be removed immediately, while others are recommended to be treated with medication.
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, smooth surface, almost not protruding above the skin. Most often affects children and adolescents.
- Palmoplantar - painful nodules with a deep root, covered with a keratinized layer. Appear in areas of mechanical impact or constant pressure.
- Thread-like - look like oblong growths on a thin stalk. Localized in the area of the eyelids, eyes, armpits, and inguinal 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 is carried out in different ways. For example, warts on the face cannot be removed with 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 merge into 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 any treatment. In other cases, a person cannot cope with skin growths for years, since some varieties have a tendency to recur. How to remove a wart so as not to encounter the reappearance of new formations in the future? Much depends on 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 cause difficulties in communicating with people.
Growths on other exposed parts of the body (arms, neck, head, décolleté) can be accidentally damaged when shaving, during hygiene procedures, or rubbed with clothing items. 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 urgently seek medical help?
- the 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 it difficult to walk;
- genital warts (genital warts) cause discomfort during sexual intercourse, defecation, and urination.
If there is a threat of malignant degeneration, suspicious 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 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 is no result, 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 prone to recurrence - often several new ones appear at the site of the removed wart. Only comprehensive treatment will help prevent further spread of the virus. To do this, you need to additionally take antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs that will stop the pathogen from multiplying and ensure 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 in order to eliminate visible manifestations on the skin. A specialist knows how to get rid of warts at home in order to forget about the unpleasant problem forever. If any tumors appear on the skin, you must 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 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 structure of the growth (down to the root), as a result of which the wart dries out and soon falls off. Caution should be exercised when using the drug. Aggressive alkali can cause chemical burns to healthy tissue, so the skin around the growth must 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 localization 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 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, being careful 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. 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 cooling composition is applied with a special applicator, holding it on the growth from 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 dies off.
Among other products for removing warts, 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 agent with salicylic acid;
- a drug with a cauterizing effect based on podophyllotoxin for the treatment of genital warts;
- gel based on polysaccharides of potato shoots with antiviral effect;
- ointment with interferon alpha-2b, stimulating local immunity.
Any of the listed remedies can be used only 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 localization and possible contraindications.
How to remove warts on finger
Growths on the 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 that tumors may 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. Using a pencil based on silver nitrate 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, it is necessary to use medications 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 stop the spread of the virus, you will have to additionally take pills, treat the 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 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 steam the growth and clean off the softened stratum corneum. Another way is to use a keratolytic agent (for example, a patch or ointment with salicylic acid). Products based on salicylic acid 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 goes deep into the dermis. Only in this case is it 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 a chemical burn, which subsequently forms an unsightly scar. As a result, another cosmetic problem will appear. It is recommended to get rid of tumors on the face using gentle methods (for example, removing a wart with a laser).
When choosing a treatment method, you should take into account the type and location of warts. For example, when treating multiple flat warts, you should not resort to agents with a 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 must 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 safe.
Electrocoagulation
This method is recommended for the removal of vulgar, plantar and genital warts. It is based on burning out 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 loop at the end, which instantly heats up to a high temperature and cuts off tumors, while simultaneously 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 rehabilitation period.
Cryodestruction
Removal of warts with nitrogen or cryodestruction procedure - freezing the formation with 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.
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 out. A dry crust remains in its place and soon falls off on its own.
Laser wart removal
Two types of installations 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 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 away, leaving clean skin in its place. This type of laser is best for removing multiple flat warts (including those on the face).
Removal with a radio knife
This is the latest development, providing 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 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 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, equipment used, type and area of localization of tumors. The cheapest procedure is electrocoagulation. In second place 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, the juice of which has long been used to cauterize skin growths. Its action is similar to alkali-based chemicals. The plant is harvested during the flowering period, taking precautions to avoid getting burned.
Warts are treated with fresh juice 3-4 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 remedy (celandine juice, vinegar, tea tree oil), consult your doctor and get his approval for the procedures.