Doctors classify warts as benign neoplasms.However, they have an unsightly appearance, so many people want to get rid of them.Choosing the optimal removal method depends on the type of wart.
What is a wart and what does it look like?
A wart is a new growth on the skin that is mostly benign in nature.Outwardly, it resembles a tubercle with a rough surface.Initially, the neoplasia is flesh-colored, but over time it can change: it becomes brown or even black.
Warts can be single or in groups.In the latter case, quite large formations are formed, spherical or, less often, conical, with a wide base.
The size of warts varies, with an average of several millimeters.Warts appear on different parts of the body, most often on the hands.
Causes of warts
They arise due to severe proliferation of the surface layer of the skin.This is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).Infection occurs through direct contact with a virus carrier or through common objects, such as a razor.
For HPV to enter the body, it needs a so-called port of entry - a scratch or wound on the skin.After penetrating the epithelial cells, the virus moves towards the nucleus.It is in it that its development and subsequent reproduction takes place.If the immune system is functioning normally, the infected cells are destroyed.HPV can "sleep" in the body for many years without appearing.And only with weakened immunity, it begins to affect many epidermal cells, which leads to the appearance of warts.
Types of warts
Depending on the type of HPV, there are several types of warts.
- Common.They have the appearance of a nodule up to 1 cm in size with a densely wrinkled, flesh-colored surface, which may turn gray to brown over time.They are usually located on the back of the hands, palms and feet.It is most often found in school-aged children.
- Plant (pinus).These are dense and keratinized areas of irregular shape, but with clear borders.Outwardly they resemble a thorn or callus, only they are characterized by pain.The size reaches 2 cm.They are more often located on the feet, less often on the palms.
- Pointed (condyloma).They look like a soft, flesh-colored or pink nodule, reminiscent of a cauliflower or cauliflower floret.They are usually located on the genitals and around the anus, less often on the tongue.
- Flat (youthful).They look like nodules, they are slightly raised above the skin, they have a smooth surface with flesh color, brown or pale yellow.They are mainly located on the face, neck and back of the hands.
- Filiform (acrochord).It is about elastic neoplasms with an elongated shape up to 6 mm long.They are flesh-colored or dark brown.Favorite places of localization are the eyelids, chin, armpits, groin area, under the mammary glands.
There is another type of warts that appear in older people - age-related keratoma.They do not occur because of HPV, but because of hormonal changes.Such formations can degenerate into malignant tumors, so they also require removal.
Of all the types, common warts and plantar warts are the most common.
How to remove warts
Any type of warts does not pose a danger to the body, but can spoil the appearance or cause discomfort.So, plantar warts can hurt when walking.When the skin is damaged, neoplasms grow easily.This happens if they are located in places that are often injured, for example when shaving.In such cases, it is better to resort to wart removal.
There are different ways to get rid of warts.Most often they are removed using the following methods:
- cryodestruction;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser therapy.
All procedures are painless as they are performed under local anesthesia.
The removal method is chosen by a specialist depending on the type of wart and its location.
Cryodestruction
This is one of the simple and common ways to remove warts of all types.The neoplasm is briefly exposed to cold - liquid nitrogen, whose temperature is -196 degrees.As a result, there is a pronounced spasm of the capillaries of the wart tissue, the formation of ice crystals inside the cells, the interruption of blood circulation and the interruption of metabolic processes.All this causes the destruction of the neoplasm.
The mechanism of the procedure is simple.The doctor soaks a cotton swab in liquid nitrogen and then places it on the wart for 15-30 seconds.Application time and number of procedures depend on the size of the wart.Sometimes a cryotherapy session is enough to make the tumor disappear.
Among the obvious advantages of the procedure are:
- lack of special training;
- minimal risk of teething;
- there is no bleeding or threat of infection;
- no anesthesia is required;
- affordable price.
Electrocoagulation
This removal method involves the use of high frequency current.It leads to an increase in temperature in the tissue and the subsequent destruction of the tumor.Before the session begins, the specialist treats the skin around the wart with an antiseptic and gives anesthesia.The procedure involves the use of a special device - a coagulator, which, using an electrode heated to 80 degrees, cauterizes the tumor.After removal, a dark crust appears at the site of the wart, which dies after a while and the wound is covered with healthy skin.
The procedure is usually performed on the day of contact with a specialist, as it does not require special preparation.In one session, medium-sized tumors can be removed immediately.However, the method is not suitable for removing plantar warts.In this case, there is a high risk of scar formation, which can then cause discomfort while walking.
Laser therapy
The use of a laser to remove warts is based on the thermal effect of a light beam, which literally vaporizes the tumor.The procedure is quite effective, but can leave scars.
Several types of lasers are used to remove warts.Some of the most common are pulse, erbium, and carbon dioxide (CO2).The latter often leaves scars, unlike the first two.
Before starting the procedure, the specialist performs a visual examination of the tumor.In some cases, it is possible to submit skin samples for histological examination.
The effectiveness of laser therapy depends on the correct calculation of the penetration depth of the laser beam and the time of its exposure to the wart.Damage to healthy skin is excluded.
Any method of removing warts allows you to get rid of only the external manifestations of HPV infection.The virus itself continues to live in the body, so the probability of relapse occurs and is 30%.
Removing warts at home
To reduce the risk of scars at the site of warts, it is recommended to start the treatment with the use of simple tools that you can use yourself at home.If they are ineffective, destructive impact methods should be used.
To remove warts yourself, use special preparations that can be bought at the pharmacy.
Medicines are available in different forms: cream, solution, stick (pencil).Each product has its own instructions for use.However, the mechanism of action of these drugs is the same.It is based on the cauterization and subsequent mummification of the wart.The effect of using pharmaceutical products does not occur immediately, but after 2-4 weeks.
Medicines are applied directly to the area of the warts, in the direction of the point, avoiding healthy areas of the skin.For convenience, you can use a cotton swab.It is recommended to perform the procedure before going to bed and cover the wart with a bandage.
It is recommended to use pharmaceutical preparations if the wart is small in size and appeared not long ago.
Traditional methods of removing warts
Traditional methods are effective only if there are few warts and they are small.To remove warts, they usually use:
- acetic acid;
- celandine juice;
- raw potatoes;
- garlic.
These products are applied to the wart until it disappears completely.Once you have chosen the traditional method, it is important to be patient.The first results are usually visible after 3-4 weeks.