The appearance of warts on the skin indicates an HPV (human papillomatosis virus) infection. Localization of skin growth on open areas of the body (face, neck, fingers) is considered a cosmetic defect and is the cause of complex and psychological problems. Papilloma virus is contagious and can be transmitted by contact. In this article we will talk about how to get rid of warts and the control methods that are considered the most effective.
Why do they appear?
Viral skin growths are considered benign neoplasms. They are formed due to the multiplication of the papilloma virus, which enters the body through micro damage to the skin. Infection occurs through close contact with an infected person or through sharing household items. Pathogens can enter the body through contact with contaminated surfaces in transport or public places.
The formation of active growth is facilitated by a decrease in immunity caused by several unfavorable factors. These include recent illness or exacerbation of chronic illness, severe stressful situations, adverse environment and bad habits. A weakened immune system cannot effectively destroy virus-infected cells, causing them to multiply rapidly and causing characteristic growths to appear.
How to remove warts so that some new ones do not appear in their place? Any treatment option should be supplemented with antiviral therapy to curb the 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 the possibility of recurrence.
Types of warts
How to get rid of warts that spoil your appearance and cause constant discomfort? This question should be addressed to a dermatologist. The doctor will choose a treatment method 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.
The main forms of warts:
- Simple (gross) - a round growth with a rough surface in the form of a nodule that rises above the skin.
- Flat - is a variety of formations with a dense, smooth surface, almost not protruding above the skin. Often affects children and adolescents.
- Palmoplantar - painful nodules with deep roots, covered with a layer of keratin. Appears in areas of mechanical impact or constant pressure.
- Thread-like - looks like an oval growth on a thin stalk. Localized in the eyelids, eyes, armpits, and inguinal folds.
- Genital condyloma has a lobular structure and resembles a papilloma 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 should not be removed in an aggressive manner, or using cauterization or freezing of the tumor. 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 special types of lasers.
Sometimes skin tumors disappear on their own, without any treatment. In other cases, a person cannot cope with skin growth for many years, because some types have a tendency to recur. How to remove warts so as not to face the reappearance of new formations in the future? A lot depends on the correct diagnosis and the correctly chosen treatment tactics.
When should it be deleted?
There is an opinion that benign tumors do not need to be removed, because 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 difficulty in communicating with people.
Tumors on other exposed parts of the body (arms, neck, head, décolleté) can be damaged accidentally when shaving, during hygiene procedures, or rubbed with articles of clothing. Injured warts pose a serious danger, as there is a threat of bacterial infection and even malignant degeneration.
In what situation is it necessary to seek medical help immediately?
- skin growth grows rapidly and increases in size;
- the shape and color of the neoplasm change;
- warts become painful and bleed;
- 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 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 the doctor.
If the neoplasm is painless and does not cause concern, there is no need to resort to surgical intervention. To find out how to remove warts at home, consult a dermatologist. The doctor will recommend the medicine that will be optimal in your case. If there is no result, you need to use a more radical method - remove the tumor using hardware methods.
Remove warts at home
There are many ways to combat skin growth using special chemicals. These include drugs with a keratolytic (exfoliating) effect, cauterization and mummy. A dermatologist will tell you which wart removal product to choose. You can not self-medicate - first you need to find out the type of formation and only then proceed with the procedure.
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 take additional antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs that will stop pathogens from multiplying and ensure stable remission.
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. An expert knows how to get rid of warts at home to forget the unpleasant problem forever. If any tumor appears on the skin, you must see a doctor, undergo a diagnostic examination, and only then start treatment.
How to get rid of warts quickly at home
The most effective ways to combat skin growth include products based on acid, alkali or liquid nitrogen. Let's take a closer look at how to use it to get rid of warts at home.
- An aqueous solution based on potassium and sodium alkali, which, when applied to a neoplasm, causes necrosis (death) of its tissue. Caustic alkali penetrates deep into the growth structure (down to the roots), as a result of which the wart dries up 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 the solution to the wart and wait until it dries completely.
- A better version of the drug that has now been discontinued. Oily liquids based on phenol and 3-methylphenol have a cauterizing and mummifying effect. As a result, warts 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 tumor is treated point by point, lubricate 3-4 times and wait 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). This drug is available in the form of a colorless solution, which, when used, has a strong mummy effect. Before using the medicine, it is necessary to remove the dense layer and keratin. To do this, it is recommended to steam the formation in hot water or use the first formulation with a keratolytic effect (for example, salicylic ointment). The solution is used carefully with a special applicator, being careful not to get healthy skin. This procedure is repeated several times, with a break of 1 day.
- Medicines that destroy wart tissue by freezing. The active ingredient, a mixture of dimethyl ether and propane, has the same effect as the procedure for removing warts with liquid nitrogen. This medicine is produced in a can with an aerosol nozzle. The exit 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 the destruction and necrosis of the pathological tissue. A few days after treatment, the formation dies.
Among other products to remove warts, the following drugs are popular:
- solutions based on lactic and salicylic acid;
- cream paste with glycyrrhizic acid;
- aerosol for freezing;
- pencil based on silver nitrate;
- keratolytic agents with salicylic acid;
- drugs 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 alpha-2b, stimulates local immunity.
Any of the listed drugs can be used only after consulting your doctor. To achieve the required therapeutic effect, it is necessary to take into account the type and structure of the tumor, its localization area and possible contraindications.
How to get rid of warts on fingers
Growth on the finger is not only an aesthetic problem, but also a direct threat to others. These pathogens can be easily transmitted to healthy people through handshakes or close contact. It is possible that the tumor may be damaged during physical work or during hygiene procedures.
How to remove warts from the fingers with the help of drugs, without using hardware methods? To do this, experts advise using products with a mummy effect. Using pencils 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 is to use a product 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 cauterizing or necrotizing effects, it is necessary to use drugs with antiviral effects. A dermatologist will advise you on how to get rid of warts on your fingers once and for all. To stop the spread of the virus, you need to take additional pills, treat the tumor with gel or ointment with antiviral activity.
How to get rid of warts on your feet
Removing plantar warts poses certain difficulties. This is a painful formation with deep roots, the surface is covered with a layer of keratin skin. In order for drugs with a necrotic effect to penetrate into the deep structure of pathological tissue, it is necessary to first steam the growth and clean the soft 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 the initial preparation, it is recommended to treat the growth with any preparation containing alkali or acid 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 avoid repeated relapses and the appearance of new formations.
Aggressive means should not be used to get rid of warts on the face. Delicate skin can suffer from chemical burns, which in turn form unsightly scars. As a result, another cosmetic problem will appear. It is recommended to remove tumors on the face using gentle methods (for example, removing warts with a laser).
When choosing a treatment method, you should take into account the type and location of the wart. For example, when treating various flat warts, you should not use agents with a cauterizing or mummy effect. When treating genital warts, you can use drugs with a certain concentration of various acids, which are used according to the direction. To avoid burning, allergic reactions and other side effects, you must first consult a doctor.
Hardware technique
In addition to drugs, 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 to remove vulgar, plantar and genital warts. It is based on the burning of growth tissue with electric current. An electrocoagulator is a device that produces electrical waves at a specific frequency. The working nozzle has a loop at the end, which instantly heats up to a high temperature and cuts the tumor, at the same time burning the blood vessels to prevent bleeding and infection in 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 some disadvantages - the risk of scarring, pain, and a long recovery period.
Cryodestruction
Removal of warts with nitrogen or cryodestruction procedures - freezing the formation with subsequent death. This is one of the easiest, bloodless and painless procedures. Warts are 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 tissue. A blister forms at the site of the wart, which soon opens and dries up. Dry crusts stay in place and soon fall off on their own.
Laser wart removal
Two types of installations are used to remove warts with a laser. Some of them use heat radiation, which instantly heats and evaporates the liquid inside the pathological cells, destroying them. This type of treatment is used to get rid of 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, an action based on heat radiation, gives the best results.
The second type of laser installation destroys the wart by gluing the walls of the blood vessels that feed the tumor. The growth, lacking blood supply, soon dies and disappears, leaving clean skin in its place. This type of laser is best for removing multiple flat warts (including on the face).
Removal with a radio knife
This is the latest development, providing painless and bloodless tumor removal. High-frequency radio waves produce a powerful heat effect that heats the wart cell and destroys it from the inside. At the same time, radio waves disinfect surfaces and prevent the spread of viruses. This method is quite expensive and is done using high frequency radio wave equipment. Used to remove all types of warts.
Laser or nitrogen removal: which is better?
Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. Lasers provide 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. The laser beam destroys the wart tissue and at the same time freezes the blood vessels, preventing the risk of infection. This procedure does not require a long recovery period and eliminates the possibility of scar formation.
The cryodestruction procedure destroys 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, scars may remain on the skin. When using liquid nitrogen, complete healing takes 10 to 14 days.
How much does it cost to remove warts?
The cost of wart removal services depends on the technique used, the equipment used, the type and location of the tumor. The cheapest procedure is electrocoagulation. In second place is the cryodestruction method.
The cost of the procedure is also affected by the area of residence.
Remove warts with celandine
Celandine is a medicinal plant, the juice of which has long been used to burn skin growths. Its action is similar to alkali-based chemicals. Plants are 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 immediate results. It will take 2 to 3 weeks for the growth to dry and fall off. Neoplasms located on the mucous membrane should not be treated with celandine juice, otherwise chemical burns are inevitable.
Before using any folk remedies (celandine juice, vinegar, tea tree oil), consult your doctor and get his approval for the procedure.