Wart removal

Removing warts is a question that many people suffering from this infectious disease ask either their friends or doctors. What methods and ways of removing these unpleasant growths exist, and which of them should be used? First, it is necessary to determine what warts are.

Warts (verrucae) are benign formations on the epithelium. They are provoked by papillomaviruses, of which there are currently more than 60 types. Among these viruses, there are those that can cause the formation of malignant formations, so it is so important to decide on the issue of "removal of warts" so as not to activate the pathological process, leading to serious consequences.

These growths can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age or social status. The only exception is the elderly, who develop specific immunity to these viruses.

Externally, they may look different, it depends on the place of their appearance, on the degree of irritation to which they are exposed. They can be single and multiple, they can appear suddenly and disappear just as quickly, some types of neoplasms settle on the human body for a long time.

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What method is used to remove warts?

In order to remove warts, it is necessary to differentiate them from simple calluses. A callus does not have a characteristic papillary structure, it is denser. Of course, wart removal - examination, diagnostics, determination of the method, should be decided by a dermatologist.

The procedure can be performed using laser therapy, cryodestruction, electrocoagulation, surgical excision.

Laser therapy

• The use of laser is based on the effect of evaporation or laser coagulation. Minimal complications (scars, hyperpigmentation), speed (2-5 minutes), relative painlessness make this method very popular.

This type of wart removal is relatively new, quite effective and absolutely painless. After the procedure, the healing process is quite fast, there is no bleeding, the risk of scars and spots is insignificant. Using a laser, warts are removed layer by layer with preliminary local anesthesia. The affected segments are removed with a radio wave knife, without having a destructive effect on the surrounding tissues. A small depression remains at the site of removal, which becomes smooth within two to three weeks. After laser removal, you cannot sunbathe or go to a bathhouse or sauna for some time (about three weeks). Contraindications to this procedure are such severe pathologies as diabetes, cancer, immunodeficiency states, and pregnancy.

Electrocoagulation

• Removing warts with electrocoagulation is also quick. The procedure is performed using a surgical instrument - a coagulator with a loop. Current is supplied to the growth through the loop, it is cut off, and the cut site is immediately coagulated. As a rule, the removed material is sent for histology to determine possible pathologies and risks in terms of the benign nature of the neoplasm.

Warts are removed using an electrocoagulator under the influence of electrodes, which are capable of eliminating the unwanted formation when heated. A dry crust first forms on the affected area, preventing infection and bleeding, which subsequently falls off. There are no scars on the skin after electrocoagulation. If the wart was very large, a light spot may be visible on the skin, which subsequently disappears. For the first week after the procedure, lubricate the resulting crust with antiseptics - for example, a five percent solution of potassium permanganate, do not wet the crust with water or touch it with your hands. Contraindications to the procedure: herpes, cancer.

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Cryodestruction

• Removal of warts using cryodestruction. Using nitrogen at low temperatures, the neoplasm is frozen. Freezing time is from 30 seconds to a minute, depending on the size and shape of the formation. They peel off and disappear.

Warts are removed using liquid nitrogen, which at a temperature of one hundred and ninety-six degrees Celsius has a destructive effect on the affected areas. The procedure has a fairly high cosmetic effect. Depending on the technique used, freezing can cause tissue destruction and death or narrowing of blood vessels with subsequent expansion of capillaries, which promotes blood flow to the affected area. With deep freezing, the applicator is fixed over the wart and pressed tightly for thirty seconds, causing the epithelial cells to be destroyed. In order to cause only hyperemia of the skin without cell destruction, the applicator is fixed on the pathological formation for ten to fifteen seconds. A cryoapplicator with a metal tip is also used for the procedure. Before the procedure, the skin is treated with a seventy percent alcohol solution.

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Surgical removal of warts

Removal of warts using surgical excision. This is a local operation. It is performed on an outpatient basis. After the procedure, small stitches are applied, which are removed after a week.

If the warts are very large and cover a large area, surgical intervention is prescribed, which is also carried out if other treatment methods have proven ineffective. The affected segment is scraped out with a special sharp spoon, which is then treated with a silver nitrate solution. Scraping can also be done with a scalpel with preliminary local anesthesia. After the operation, the patient should not sunbathe or visit saunas or baths for half a month.

Chemical method

Such methods of wart removal are not used very often and consist of treating the formation with acid or alkali. It should be noted that with such a procedure, the risk of damaging the surrounding tissue or introducing an infection is quite high. For these purposes, it is best to use salicylic acid, which can be purchased at a pharmacy.

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Removing warts using folk methods

Proponents of traditional medicine remove warts using onion, garlic and apple juice, acetic acid, natural honey, herbal remedies - calendula, wormwood, celandine, etc. Vinegar essence is mixed with flour and applied to the formation, while avoiding the mixture getting on healthy areas of the skin.

Also, beeswax and garlic compresses are used to remove warts in folk medicine. However, it should be remembered that when performing the procedure at home, there is a risk of harming your health, since warts are a disease that requires professional examination and qualified help from a specialist. If you are infected with warts, seek help from a dermatologist.

Removal of warts can also be done by chemodestruction - using concentrated chemicals, removal using a radio knife, removal of warts using cytotoxic substances. The choice of technique, as well as the procedure itself, is made by a dermatologist. With proper diagnosis and removal, the effectiveness reaches 75-90%, in some cases, the formations recur and require repeated removal and the use of immunomodulatory therapy.

Removing warts - this question will not arise for a person if he follows simple rules of prevention:

• Compliance with the rules of hygiene, both personal and public;
• Strengthening the immune system;
• Compliance with the rules of rational, nutritious nutrition;
• Giving up bad habits (excessive alcohol consumption, smoking);
• Increased stress resistance, mastery of autogenic training and relaxation techniques.

Causes of warts

Before specifying the topic of "wart removal", it is necessary to determine what type of virus and how it is caused. The general name of HPV viruses is the human papilloma virus or HPV- Human papilloma virus. Most often, a person becomes infected with the papilloma virus through direct contact with a carrier of the virus or through objects that carry this virus. It should be noted that the carrier of the virus often does not have externally manifested symptoms of the disease and, without suspecting it, infects many around. It is also necessary to pay attention to the danger of microtraumas, abrasions, cuts when visiting places with a large crowd of people - swimming pools, baths. It is minor damage to the skin that becomes a kind of "gateway" for the penetration of the papillomavirus into the body.

The routes of infection can be divided into two groups – household and sexual. The sexual route of infection occurs during sexual contact with an infected person, this is how condylomas appear. The virus can also be transmitted from mother to child during the birth process, when the mucous membranes of both the woman and the child are injured.

The household route is any contact with an infected surface, be it household items or cutting raw meat or fish. There are cases of infection during unprofessional hair removal, cosmetic procedures, when the instruments are not processed properly.

These formations do not appear immediately, that is, immediately after infection with the virus. The incubation period can last weeks, and sometimes months.

The most common types of viruses that cause verrucae are:

• 2 – localized on the hands;
• 1 and 4 – on the soles of the feet;
• 7 is typical for people involved in cutting and processing raw meat, “butcher’s papillomas”;
• 6 and 11 – condylomas, laryngeal lesions;
• 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14 – a rare disease – epidermodysplasia verruciformis and more common flat ones;
• 16,18, less often virus 31, 33 – cervical dysplasia (provocation of both benign and pathological, malignant tumors).

Removal of warts - this issue should be decided taking into account the type and kind of virus that caused them.

Types:

• Simple (verrucae vulgares) – localized, dry, dense formations that rise slightly above the skin. The size is usually small, no more than a pea. Often two or three units merge together, painless. Localization – hands or soles of the feet (verrucae plantares), where they are denser and more painful;
• Juvenile, flat (verrucae planae, verrucae juveniles). Round or slightly irregular in shape. Localized on the face and hands. Often have the appearance of nodules;
• Condylomas (Condylomata accuminata). Pink, small, pointed. Often merge into clusters with a stalk. Localization - genitals, groin, area between the buttocks;
• Age-related (senile). Non-viral etiology. Localization: face, neck, less often body.