The appearance of warts on the skin indicates infection with HPV (human papillomatosis virus). Localization of skin growths in open areas of the body (face, neck, fingers) is considered a cosmetic defect and becomes the cause of complexes and psychological problems. Papillomavirus 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 the most effective.
Why do they appear?
Skin growths of a viral nature are considered benign neoplasms. They are formed as a result of the reproduction of the papilloma virus, which enters the body through micro damage to 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 in public places.
The active formation of growths is facilitated by a decrease in immunity caused by a number of adverse factors. These include recent diseases or exacerbation of chronic diseases, severe stressful situations, bad environment and bad habits. A weakened immune system cannot effectively destroy cells infected with the virus, which causes 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 option should be supplemented with antiviral therapy to prevent further spread of 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 concern? This question should be addressed to a dermatologist. The doctor will choose 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 drugs.
The main forms of warts:
- Simple (vulgar) - round growths with a rough surface in the form of a nodule rising on the skin.
- Flat - many formations with a dense, smooth surface, which almost do not protrude above the skin. Children and teenagers are often affected.
- Palmoplantar - deep-rooted painful nodules covered with a keratinized layer. Appears in areas of mechanical impact or constant pressure.
- Thread-like - like elongated growths on a thin thread. It is localized in the eyelids, eyes, armpits and groin folds.
- Genital condylomas have a lobular structure and look like papillomas. They are formed in the perineal region and genitals.
Other common types of neoplasms include periungual warts and senile keratomas.
Removal of the listed species is carried out in different ways. For example, warts on the face cannot be removed by 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 in large groups. In this case, many apparatus and chemical cleaning 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 may not cope with skin growth for years, as some types tend to recur. How to remove a wart so as not to encounter 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, because they do not pose a particular danger. However, doctors do not agree with this attitude. Warts on the face spoil the appearance, cause psychological problems, make it difficult to communicate with people.
Growths on other open parts of the body (arms, neck, head, décolleté) can be accidentally damaged during shaving, hygiene procedures or rubbing with clothing. A wounded wart poses a serious threat, as there is a risk of bacterial infection and even malignant degeneration.
In which cases should you seek emergency 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 are very painful and make it difficult to walk;
- genital warts (genital warts) cause discomfort during intercourse, defecation and urination.
If there is a danger of malignant degeneration, suspicious tumors should be removed immediately. In such cases, not only a person's health, but also his life depends on the correct and competent action of the doctor.
If the neoplasm is painless and does not cause discomfort, it is not necessary to resort to surgical intervention. Consult a dermatologist to learn how to remove a wart at home. The doctor will recommend a remedy that will be optimal in your situation. If there is no result, you will have to resort to more radical methods - removal of tumors using hardware methods.
Removal of warts at home
There are many ways to fight skin growth using special chemicals. These include drugs with keratolytic (abrasive), cauterizing and embalming effects. A dermatologist will tell you which wart removal product to choose. You should not treat yourself - first you need to find the type of formation and only then proceed with the procedures.
New growths of a viral nature tend to recur - often several new ones appear in the place of the removed wart. Only comprehensive treatment will help prevent further spread of the virus. To do this, you should additionally take antiviral and immunomodulators, which will stop the reproduction of the pathogen and ensure a stable remission.
Once the papillomavirus enters the body, it remains there forever. The main goal of complex therapy is to immobilize the skin in order to eliminate the visible manifestations. An expert knows how to get rid of warts at home to forget about the unpleasant problem forever. If any tumor appears on the skin, you should consult a doctor, undergo a diagnostic examination, and only then start treatment.
How to remove warts quickly at home
The most effective ways to combat skin growth include acids, alkalis, or liquid nitrogen-based products. Let's consider in more detail 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 (to the root), as a result of which the wart dries up and soon falls off. Care should be taken when using the drug. Aggressive alkali can cause chemical burns of healthy tissues, 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 until it dries completely.
- An improved version of a now discontinued drug. An oily liquid made on the basis of phenol and 3-methylphenol has a cauterizing and embalming 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 around the wart. It is treated with growth points, lubricated 3-4 times and waits for the liquid to be absorbed. The number of procedures is from 4 to 10, depending on the type of wart and the area of localization.
- 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, when used it has a strong embalming 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 to use formulas with a keratolytic effect first (for example, salicylic ointment). The solution is carefully applied with a special applicator so as not to fall on healthy skin. The procedure is repeated several times, with intervals 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 cap. The outlet temperature of the mixture reaches – 57 °C. The cooling composition is applied with a special applicator, keeping it in growth for 3 to 40 seconds, depending on the type of tumor. Acute cooling of warts causes destruction and necrosis of pathological tissues. A few days after treatment, the formation dies.
Among other products to remove warts, the following drugs are popular:
- solution based on lactic and salicylic acid;
- cream paste with glycyrrhizic acid;
- aerosol for ice cream;
- pen 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 sprouts with antiviral effect;
- ointment with interferon alfa-2b, which stimulates local immunity.
Any of the listed means 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 localization area and possible contraindications.
How to remove finger warts
Growths on the fingers are not only an aesthetic problem, but also a direct danger to others. The causative agent of the disease can be easily transmitted to a healthy person during a handshake or close contact. It is possible to damage tumors during physical work or hygiene procedures.
How to remove a wart from a finger with the help of drugs without resorting to hardware methods? For this, experts recommend using products with a mummifying effect. Using a pen based on silver nitrate gives a good effect, but you should not expect quick results from this method.
Consult your doctor before removing a wart on your finger. 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 cauterizing or necrotic agents, it is necessary to use drugs with antiviral effects. A dermatologist will advise you on how to get rid of the wart on your finger once and for all. To stop the spread of the virus, you should additionally take pills, treat growths with gel or ointment with antiviral activity.
How to get rid of a wart on your leg
Eliminating plantar warts poses certain difficulties. These are deep-rooted painful formations, 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 first necessary to steam the growth and clean the softened corneum layer. 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 the initial preparation, it is recommended to treat the growth with any preparation containing alkalis or acids or to use a product with a freezing effect. The most important thing is to destroy the root of the wart that goes deep into the dermis. Only in this case it is possible to prevent repeated relapses and the appearance of new formations.
Aggressive means should not be used to remove warts on the face. Delicate skin can suffer from a chemical burn, which later forms an unsightly scar. As a result, another cosmetic problem will appear. It is recommended to get rid of tumors on the face by gentle methods (for example, laser wart removal).
When choosing a treatment method, you should consider the type and location of warts. For example, when treating multiple flat warts, you should not resort to agents that have a cauterizing or embalming effect. When treating genital warts, you can use drugs with a certain concentration of different acids, which are applied to the point. To prevent 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 fight warts. Some of them have been used for decades, while 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 the growth tissue with an electric current. An electrocoagulator is a device that generates electric waves at a certain frequency. The tip of the working nozzle has a loop that instantly heats up to a high temperature and cuts tumors, while burning blood vessels to prevent bleeding and infection of the surgical site.
You can remove several growths at once in just one session. 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 by 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 in seconds with an applicator or a directed stream of liquid nitrogen.
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. The dry crust stays in place and soon falls off on its own.
Laser wart removal
There are two types of setups used for laser wart removal. Some of them use thermal radiation, which immediately heats and vaporizes the liquid inside the pathological cells, destroying them. This type of treatment is used to remove vulgar, filiform and genital warts. Warts on the heel cause significant discomfort and are difficult to treat with chemicals. Removal of plantar warts with a laser whose action is based on thermal radiation gives the best results.
The second type of laser installation destroys warts by gluing the walls of the vessels that feed the tumor. Deprived of blood supply, the growth soon dies, leaving clear skin in its place. This type of laser is best for removing many flat warts (including those on the face).
Remove it with a radio knife
This is the latest development that ensures painless and bloodless removal of tumors. High-frequency radio waves create a powerful heating 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 with 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 advantages and disadvantages. Laser provides quick and painless removal of all types of warts. It is the most modern, safe and effective procedure that ensures the absence of complications and recurrences. Laser radiation destroys the wart tissue and at the same time prevents the risk of infection by clotting the blood vessels. The procedure does not require a long rehabilitation period and eliminates the possibility of scarring.
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 miscalculate the depth of exposure, a scar may remain on the skin. When using liquid nitrogen, full recovery takes 10-14 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 of tumor and the area of localization. The cheapest procedure is electrocoagulation. In second place is the cryodestruction method.
The cost of procedures is also affected by the area of residence.
Removal of warts with celandine
Celandine is a medicinal plant whose juice has long been used to burn skin growths. Its action is similar to alkaline-based chemicals. The plant is collected during the flowering period, measures are taken not to burn it.
Warts are treated with fresh juice 3-4 times a day, avoiding contact with healthy skin. You should not expect instant results. It takes 2-3 weeks for the growth to dry and fall off. Neoplasms located on the mucous membrane cannot be treated with celandine water, otherwise chemical burns cannot be avoided.
Before using any folk remedies (celandine juice, vinegar, tea tree oil), consult your doctor and get his consent for the procedures.