Doctors classify warts as benign neoplasms.However, they are 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.Externally, it resembles tuberculosis with a rough surface.At first, the neoplasm is flesh-colored, but over time it can change: become brown or even black.
A wart can be single or clustered.In the latter case, quite large formations are formed, spherical or, more rarely, conical, with a wide base.
The size of warts varies, on average a few 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 the carrier of the virus or through common objects, such as razors.
In order for HPV to enter the body, a so-called entrance gate is needed - a scratch or wound on the skin.After penetrating the epithelial cells, the virus moves towards the nucleus.Its development and subsequent reproduction takes place in it.If the immune system is functioning normally, the infected cells are destroyed.HPV can "sleep" in the body for many years without manifesting itself.And only with weakened immunity does it begin 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.
- Usually.They have the appearance of a lump up to 1 cm in size with a wrinkled dense surface, flesh-colored, which can turn grayish-brown over time.They are usually found on the back of the hands, palms and feet.It is most often found in school-aged children.
- Plantar (pinus).These are dense and keratinized areas of irregular shape, but with clear boundaries.Outwardly, they resemble a thorn or a callus, only they are characterized by pain.The size reaches 2 cm.They are most often localized on the feet, less often on the palms.
- Spikes (condylomas).They look like soft, flesh-colored or pink nodules, reminiscent of cocklebur or cauliflower blooms.They are usually found on the genitals and around the anus, less often on the tongue.
- Apartment (youth).They look like nodules, they are slightly raised above the skin, they have a smooth flesh-colored, brown or pale yellow surface.They are found mainly on the face, neck and back of the hands.
- Filiform (acrochords).These are elastic neoplasms with an oblong shape, up to 6 mm in length.They are fleshy or dark brown.Favorite places of localization are the eyelids, chin, armpits, groin area, under the mammary glands.
There is another type of wart that appears in older people - age-related keratomas.They are not caused by HPV, but by hormonal changes.Such formations can degenerate into malignant tumors, so their removal is also necessary.
Of all the types, the most common are common and plantar warts.
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 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.They are most often removed by the following methods:
- cryodestruction;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser therapy.
All procedures are painless because they are performed under local anesthesia.
The method of removal is chosen by an expert depending on the type of wart and its location.
Cryodestruction
This is one of the simple and common ways to remove warts of all kinds.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 nipple tissue, the formation of ice crystals inside the cells, the cessation of blood circulation and the cessation of metabolic processes.All this causes 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 cryotherapy session 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 risk of infection;
- no anesthesia is required;
- affordable price.
Electrocoagulation
This method of removal involves the use of high frequency current.This leads to an increase in temperature in the tissues and the subsequent destruction of the tumor.Before the start of the session, the specialist treats the skin around the nipple with an antiseptic and gives anesthesia.The procedure involves the use of a special device - a coagulator, which uses an electrode heated to 80 degrees to cauterize 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 carried out on the day of contacting the 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 scarring, which can subsequently cause discomfort when walking.
Laser therapy
The use of lasers to remove warts is based on the thermal effect of the 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 conducts a visual examination of the tumor.In some cases, it is possible to provide 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 recurrence is 30%.
Removal of warts at home
In order to reduce the risk of scarring at the site of warts, it is recommended to start treatment using simple remedies that you can use yourself at home.If they are ineffective, one should resort to destructive methods of influence.
To remove warts yourself, use special preparations that can be bought at the pharmacy.
Medicines are available in different forms: cream, solution, stick (pen).Each product has its own user manual.However, the mechanism of action of these drugs is identical.It is based on cauterization and subsequent mummification of the nipple.The effect of using pharmaceutical products does not appear immediately, but after 2-4 weeks.
Medicines are applied directly to the area of the warts, point by point, avoiding healthy parts 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 patch.
It is recommended to use pharmaceutical preparations if the wart is small in size and appeared not so long ago.
Traditional methods of wart removal
Traditional methods are only effective 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.Having chosen the traditional method, it is important to be patient.The first results are usually visible after 3-4 weeks.