Band-aids for warts

The appearance of "uninvited guests" warts on the body is always associated with the activation of a special papillomavirus infection in the body. And the more active the virus is, the more neoplasms a person discovers. There are many known means to get rid of this scourge. Among the most common are ointments, caustic and cauterizing solutions, creams. However, many consider a special wart patch to be the most comfortable to use. Below you will learn about the types of patches and how to use them correctly.

Indications of the wart patch

Warts, despite the common name, are different. For example, depending on the structure, shape and location, these growths are divided into:

• plantar;
• pointed (genital warts);
• ordinary;
• filiform;
• flat;
• atypical.

Genital warts are equally common in representatives of any gender and age. As a rule, infection with the virus that causes condylomas occurs during sexual contact with a carrier of the infection.

The plantar variant is found in the area of the sole of the foot. The greatest pressure is always exerted on such a growth, which is why the wart becomes especially dense, with a hard surface layer.

Other warts can appear almost anywhere on the human body. They are often found on the hands, armpits, groin, head, or mammary glands.

Medicinal products that allow you to get rid of warts are presented in pharmacies in a wide range. Thus, any pharmacist can recommend appropriate creams, liquids and even sprays. The latter are most relevant if the patient suffers from a large number of neoplasms in one place. If the growth is single, then a special wart patch can be used to remove it.

Absolutely all such patches have a similar principle of action. First of all, they soften the skin, help neutralize the virus. The active substance, which the patch is impregnated with, penetrates deep into the tissue and acts directly on the structure of the wart. In addition to acid, which destroys the growth of the epithelium, the impregnation of the patch may include sulfur or another component that ensures further restoration of the skin.

Wart patches are relatively inexpensive, they are the most convenient to use (compared to other similar products), and have virtually no contraindications. But the spectrum of activity of the patch is quite extensive:

• relieves inflammation;
• neutralizes the effect of the virus;
• has keratolytic properties;
• destroys secondary infection;
• softens rough skin.

Plantar warts are treated with both Salipod and any other patch based on the action of salicylic acid. The moment of steaming the skin before applying the product is very important for the plantar area, because the skin there is the roughest. It is recommended to cut off the dead tissue from the wart after each removal of the patch: this way the wart will disappear faster.

Both domestic and imported patches also help against warts on the hands. Their main difference is the price. The active ingredient and the effect of the product are almost the same. Only the German drug Suda Epitact has a different basis: this product copes with its task perfectly and helps against dry calluses and warts in any part of the body. The only contraindication for using such a patch-pad is an allergy to the components.

For warts on the foot, for plantar warts, you can use not only patches, but also other external remedies. The main thing is not to forget that the growth is provoked by a viral infection, therefore, to prevent relapses, it is necessary to conduct general antiviral therapy.

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Release form

All currently known wart patches cope with their task almost equally. The difference between them is only in the manufacturer and cost. At the same time, the most popular are such products as Salipod, Mediplast, House Hi Tech, salicylic patch and Suda Epitact.

Let's consider the mentioned means separately.

• Salipod (or, as people say, a solipod patch) deservedly leads the list of the most common remedies for warts. It can cope with almost any growth in any area of the body. The basic ingredients of Salipod are salicylic acid and sulfur. These substances easily penetrate deep into the tissues and act directly on the structure of the wart: the virus dies, and the growth eventually undergoes necrosis. It is believed that the course of treatment will require only three patches, which should be used one after another for a week.
• The Mediplast salicylic patch contains 40% salicylic acid, which effectively copes with problematic growths even on such rough surfaces as the sole of the foot. The patch with salicylic acid is glued to the area affected by warts. It is recommended to lightly lubricate the adjacent healthy skin with any baby cream to avoid additional irritation.
• The Chinese House Hi Tech patch is an analogue of the domestic salicylic patch: the active ingredient is 40% salicylic acid. There is no need to additionally apply baby cream when using the Chinese patch: the product comes with a special disc that protects healthy skin from the irritating agent.
• Suda Epitact is a wart patch made in Germany. Its action is based on the plant extract of thuja. This patch has a sticky surface and a small pad with active impregnation, which should be applied to the wart. Thuja is a hypoallergenic plant, so this remedy can be used even in pediatric practice. However, it costs Suda Epitact

Dosing and administration

Before sticking a patch on a wart, you first need to steam the affected area of skin (for example, a foot) in very warm water for 5-8 minutes. After that, the skin is thoroughly wiped with a napkin and dried. Then you can attach the adhesive patch to the area of growths. The patch is replaced according to the instructions: each patch has its own term of action and its own duration of treatment. In any case, the total duration of therapy should not be less than two days. For example, the Salipod patch is changed every 10-12 hours, and the treatment period should be at least a week. Trying to tear off the wart on your own ahead of time is unacceptable: it should fall off on its own when all treatment processes are completed.

It is also important to remember that getting rid of warts with a patch does not guarantee that the growths will not appear again, because the virus continues to circulate in the body. Therefore, you need to consult a doctor and undergo a course of antiviral therapy. This treatment is especially relevant if warts appear frequently and/or in large numbers.

It is important to be careful during treatment. It is good if the patch covers only the wart, without affecting healthy areas of the skin.

Prevent the patch from shifting. If it is not holding firmly, you can additionally fix it with a strip of medical adhesive tape. If the wart is on the foot, you can put on a sock for better fixation.

The patch will adhere better if the skin in the affected area is dry and clean.

After removing the product, no additional skin treatment should be performed.

Application for children

Experts note: in the vast majority of children, warts go away on their own without the use of any treatment, including patches. You only have to think about removing a growth in a child in cases where the neoplasm really causes certain problems - for example, it hurts, or grows too rapidly, changes its color. In all other situations, it is enough to conduct supportive immunotherapy to strengthen the body's defenses.

As for the use of wart patches, the main representatives of such drugs are not used in pediatrics. An exception is, for example, the German patch Suda Epitact. However, it is also allowed to be used only after consultation with a pediatrician or pediatric dermatologist.

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Use of the wart patch during pregnancy

Doctors advise most expectant mothers to postpone the fight against warts until the baby is born. If removal is unavoidable - for example, in the case of multiple neoplasms and their intensive growth, then the procedure is prescribed no earlier than the 28th week of pregnancy. It is during this period that the future baby's morphological organs and systems are already formed. Prescribing antiviral treatment requires a special approach.

The period of bearing a child is not the best time for experiments, so the use of wart patches should not be independent. Consultation with a doctor is mandatory. It may happen that the doctor will offer another, safer way to eliminate the problem.

Almost all patches are prohibited for use by pregnant women. The possibility of using any such product should be discussed with a doctor.

Contraindications

Wart patches are never used to get rid of moles: this is dangerous and can provoke malignant transformation of the neoplasm.

Do not apply wart patches to healthy skin. This can cause skin irritation and even burns.

It is not recommended to use patches in pediatric practice. Children's skin is too thin and delicate: complications may arise.

Also, you should not use the patch during pregnancy, since the effect of aggressive destructive agents on fetal development has not been fully studied.

If there are pimples, pustules, cuts, scratches and other skin lesions near the wart, then you cannot use a patch on this area (until the lesions are completely healed).

One should not forget about such a contraindication as an allergic tendency of the body to any of the ingredients of the patch. Therefore, before using it, it is necessary to carefully study the instructions and composition of the product.

Analogues

Almost all wart patches contain acids - most often it is salicylic acid. Auxiliary ingredients can be antiseptics, antimicrobial and antiviral agents, sulfur, perhydrol, etc. Many manufacturers produce similar patches, so there are quite a lot of analogues. If the nearest pharmacy does not have the product recommended by your doctor, then you can replace it with another similar drug. Thus, the Salipod patch can be successfully replaced with Urgo Coricide - this is a patch containing 32 mg of salicylic acid. It is a keratolytic, that is, it dissolves the keratinized layer of skin on the wart. It can also be used to get rid of dry and dense calloused formations on the foot.

Various ointments, creams, and solutions, which are applied directly to warts according to the instructions, also act as analogues of patches. For example, the dissolving drug Solcoderm, which contains several different acids at once: oxalic, acetic, nitric, lactic, etc., has a good effect.

Verrukacid is another popular cauterizing agent used both in clinics and at home. The composition is represented by phenol and metacresol. These substances lead to protein coagulation, as a result of which the wart wrinkles, necrotizes and falls off.

One of the new wart treatments is the so-called Cryopharma system: it is an applicator based on liquid nitrogen that works on the principle of cryotherapy (freezing the growth). Patients say that just one application may be enough to completely eliminate the problematic growth, and one package may be enough to remove 10-12 warts.

In addition to special preparations, you can also use spot application of various acids, including salicylic or acetic. But such treatment must be supervised by a doctor, since any errors in the use of such acids can lead to irreparable consequences (burns, scars, etc.).

Reviews

Wart patches have been used in medicine for over five decades. This fact alone indicates that this remedy is effective and popular (and inexpensive, which also means a lot). The quality of the patch's effect depends on many factors. For example, an old and large wart will disappear much more slowly than a small, newly formed growth. It is believed that the average period of probable recovery can be:

• one week for minor education;
• 2-4 weeks with significant growth.

If this remedy did not help, then perhaps there were violations in the technique of its use. It happens no less often that the patch has expired, and with it the effectiveness has disappeared. The production date and shelf life must be checked both when buying the product and immediately before using it.

Among the Chinese-made patches, there are often counterfeits, which directly affects the quality of treatment. To avoid purchasing a low-quality product, it is important to make purchases only in trusted places, and if in doubt, ask for a certificate of conformity and quality. You should also be wary of too cheap products.

In general, a wart patch is considered the simplest and most accessible way to solve a skin problem. The main thing is to carefully read the instructions and follow the doctor's advice.

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