Doctors classify warts as benign neoplasms.However, they have an unaesthetic 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 neoplasm is flesh-colored, but over time it can change: become brown or even black.
The wart can be single or in the form of clusters.In the latter case, rather large formations are formed, spherical or less often cone-shaped, with a wide base.
Warts vary in size, averaging a few millimeters.Warts appear on different parts of the body, most often on the hands.
Causes of warts
They occur 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, a so-called entrance door is needed - a scratch or wound on the skin.After penetrating the epithelial cells, the virus moves to 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 showing itself.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.
- Ordinary.They have the appearance of a nodule up to 1 cm in size with a wrinkled dense surface, flesh-colored, which can turn gray-brown over time.They are usually found on the backs of the hands, palms, and feet.It is most common in school-aged children.
- Plantar (pinus).These are dense and keratinized areas of irregular shape, but with clear boundaries.Outwardly, they look like a thorn or a callus, only they are characterized by pain.The size reaches 2 cm. They are most often located on the soles, less often on the palms.
- Pointed (condylomata).They look like a flesh-colored or pink-colored soft nodule that resembles a rooster's comb or cauliflower florets.They are usually located on the genitals and around the anus, less often on the tongue.
- Flat (youthful).They look like nodules, slightly rise above the skin, have a smooth surface with a flesh-colored, brown or pale yellow color.They are mainly located on the face, neck and back of the hands.
- Filamentous (acrochords).These are elastic neoplasms with an oblong shape up to 6 mm in length.They are flesh-colored or dark brown.Preferred places for localization are the eyelids, chin, armpits, groin area, under the mammary glands.
There is another type of wart that appears in the elderly - age-related keratomas.They do not occur due to HPV, but due to hormonal changes.Such formations can degenerate into malignant tumors, so they also require removal.
Of all the types, common and plantar warts are the most common.
How to remove warts
All types of warts do not pose a danger to the body, but they 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 in places that are often injured, for example, when shaving.In such cases, it is best to resort to wart removal.
There are different ways to get rid of warts.Most often, they are removed by 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 all types of warts.The neoplasm is briefly exposed to cold - liquid nitrogen, the temperature of which 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, a stoppage of blood circulation and a stoppage of metabolic processes.All this leads to the destruction of the neoplasm.
The mechanism of the procedure is simple.The doctor dips a cotton swab in liquid nitrogen and then applies it to the wart for 15-30 seconds.The time of application and the number of procedures depends on the size of the wart.Sometimes one session of cryotherapy is enough to make the tumor disappear.
Among the obvious advantages of the procedure are:
- lack of special training;
- minimal risk of scarring;
- 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 tissues and subsequent destruction of the tumor.Before starting the session, the specialist treats the skin around the wart with an antiseptic and applies anesthesia.The procedure involves the use of a special device - a coagulator, which burns the tumor with the help of an electrode heated to 80 degrees.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.Medium-sized tumors can be removed immediately within one session.However, the method is not suitable for removing plantar warts.In this case, there is a high risk of scar formation, which can subsequently cause discomfort when 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 may 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 conducts 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 impact on 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 scarring at the site of the warts, it is recommended to start the treatment with the use of simple remedies that you can use yourself at home.If they are ineffective, destructive methods of impact must be resorted to.
To remove warts yourself, use special preparations that you can buy 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 identical.It is based on cauterization and subsequent mummification of the wart.The effect of the use of pharmaceutical products does not occur immediately, but after 2-4 weeks.
Medicines are applied directly to the area of the wart, point by 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 to stick the wart with a plaster.
It is recommended to use pharmaceutical preparations if the wart is small in size and appeared not so 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've chosen the traditional method, it's important to be patient.The first results are usually visible after 3-4 weeks.