Warts are formations on the skin and mucous membranes of a benign nature, which occur due to activation of the human papilloma virus.
They don't look aesthetically pleasing and often cause complexity. Someone wants to get rid of it, but doesn't know how.
Should we remove the build-up?
It depends on the size of the papilloma, its nature, and the age of the person. But more often than not, the answer is very positive, because warts are contagious and can be passed on to other people. Perhaps self-infection is also autoinoculation.
First, transmission of neoplasms manifests itself not only through direct contact with them, but also when using ordinary household items, personal hygiene items, or simply touching places that an infected person has touched. For example, a bus handle.
Second, the location of the wart can be where it is most likely to be injured - neck, legs, armpits, groin. These places more often than others rub with clothes, knead and touch. Then full of malignancy, bleeding, overgrowth.
Third, the size and number of formations may increase, causing aesthetic problems. This phenomenon can be called the conquest of the territory by warts.
Important! Not always, but it may degenerate from warts to melanoma, an aggressive, incurable skin cancer.
Major misconceptions about the dangers of operation
Early treatment and treatment of warts are the best options. This will save you a lot of time, effort and money. Although 70% of warts disappear spontaneously after 2 years of existence, they can return with the same success and, what's more, to a new place.
The fear of many when contacting a surgeon is associated with fear of surgery, its complications, relapses, and possible pain during the procedure. They are completely unfounded, since modern methods provide excellent pain relief, and many do not require anesthesia at all.
There is still a widespread belief that extra touch of warts with a surgeon's knife will increase their growth. This is the deepest delusion - this is a surgical intervention that will prevent the spread of the virus and prevent warts from growing. Fortunately, there are quite a number of methods for this.
Strange can be called a patient who is not afraid to use traditional home methods and refuses qualified help. The experience and qualifications of a doctor are, of course, very important, but a good surgeon is not uncommon.
And one more help - don't rely on cosmetologists and run into them with warts. They just don't have adequate medical education.
Modern Method
There is a newer or older delete method. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. Also, the effect depends on the size of the wart, its position and the depth of growth.
All methods can be grouped into 3 groups: hardware, surgical and chemical. The alternative treatment has more to do with the physical (mechanical) collision method.
When you call the doctor, the doctor can recommend the best option, in his opinion, but the final choice is made by the patient himself.
Initial consultation is also required as not all of the methods you have chosen are suitable, as there are contraindications and limitations.
Laser Treatment
The laser method can be called universal. Among all methods, he took the lead today. With the help of a laser, you can remove warts where it is most difficult, delicate, and painful. It is also beneficial because it does not leave scars. Rays are the safest and least traumatic.
Efficiency is so high that one procedure is sufficient. The essence of the thermal effect on warts is burning with temperature. Fast healing, without scars and complications.
More lasers plus:
- the patient feels no pain;
- no anesthesia is required;
- complete removal;
- fast - takes 1–2 minutes. Relapse is only possible in 20% of cases.
Burning leaves a fossa that heals in 2 weeks. The skin may lighten temporarily, which will also go away on its own after 3 weeks.
Cauterization with liquid nitrogen
Cryodestruction is a low temperature method of freezing warts using liquid nitrogen. Duration - 30 seconds. Freezing causes the death of the growth tissue. When exposed to clots, the papilloma thickens and turns white. After one minute, she became red and swollen.
A gray liquid bubble will appear on the house. Within a week, it will break off on its own and will form a crust. The crust heals and falls off in 2 weeks.
The rest of the spots are pink, gradually they will become the same color as the skin. The formation will disappear within 2 weeks and a pink spot appears at the site of removal, which gradually disappears.
Pros:
- no pain, no scarring and no need for anesthesia;
- there was no infection or bleeding.
The only drawback is that there is no way to control the depth of impact.
On the sole of the foot, the impact lasts about 1 minute. This procedure can be repeated up to 5 times. Minus - healing old wounds.
Electrocoagulation
Electrocoagulation for warts using a high frequency current. It is concentrated in a loop that cuts the wart. Moxibustion temperature is about 80 degrees.
No bleeding due to coagulation of blood vessels simultaneously. Local anesthesia is required. The big plus of this method is that it prevents the virus from spreading further. Apart from that, the method is quite frugal and effective.
The surrounding tissue must be covered and the skin must be disinfected. There is also a stage of crusting. It disappeared in a week. After this, almost invisible transparent scars remain, but more often they are bright spots. No recurrence!
Application of radio wave therapy
This method is considered no less effective than an electric current. Moxibustion is carried out using a special device, the doctor will help you choose the right one. This is a radio wave generator, high frequency electric waves do not touch the wart, but actually cut it off.
The point of this action is that the wart cells contain fluid, which expands with radio waves, the wart swells and bursts. The work is done with a special tip resembling a pen.
There are no scars or infections. The only downside is the pain of this procedure, therefore, the growths are first lubricated with anesthesia. Healthy cells are not damaged. Moxibustion lasts about 20 minutes.
Advice! At the crust stage, it cannot be wetted and peeled off! He disappeared in a week.
Surgical excision
Surgical removal is a traditional and classical method performed with a scalpel. It's not used very often now. This method is traumatic and causes recurrence, scars.
There is a risk of damage to surrounding tissue, possibly infection. But it is irreplaceable if the warts are large. Under local anesthesia with a special spoon, after the incision, the warts are scraped off. The stitches are cosmetic, removed after a week. The scars remain about 3 mm in size and fade over time.
Chemical moxibustion
The formation is followed up with acids or alkalis. After a certain amount of time, wash it off. There are usually at least 6 procedures to achieve the effect. There is a burning or tingling sensation during that time. Warts dry up and fall off.
Weaknesses:
- there is a risk of further spread of the virus and infection is not excluded;
- healthy tissue is often damaged;
- scar may occur, healing takes about 10 days.
This method is used only if other methods are not possible.
Advantages and disadvantages of various methods, which one is better
Any erase method has pros and cons, neither is an ideal option. Currently the most popular methods are: laser therapy, cryotherapy, electrocautery, radio waves, scalpels - in decreasing order of frequency of use. The costs of the first 3 methods are actually in the same price range.
The laser is the first to take the lead: there is no inaccessible place for it, safe, fast and painless. Cryodestruction is considered the second most effective, but with it it is impossible to control the depth of exposure, because of which relapses are possible.
And one more conclusion - the laser can only remove 1 small formation in 1 session.
Cryotherapy is applicable for papillomatosis, when up to 40 growths can be removed in 1 procedure. But here the doctor's experience is very important for quality.
How does location and type of growth influence technique choice?
There are 4 types of warts:
- vulgar- in the form of small nodules, often growing on the fingers and toes, on the backs of the hands;
- flat- typical for teenagers, in the form of raised spots; these include plantar (spines);
- like thread (acrochords)- a thin elastic growth on the legs, appearing on the face (eyelids, lips) and neck;
- genital warts - often localized on the mucous membrane of the genitals; cauliflower-like appearance.
4 of this kind comes from virus and belongs to real wart.
But there are also senile keratomas, which are caused by malfunctioning of the skin. They don't need treatment, just observation. Cryotherapy can be used if desired.
Doctors recommend the method of removal, but it is the patient who ultimately chooses. The method of choice depends on the type of wart: small formations can be removed safely with aradio wave "knife", or liquid nitrogen.
Radio Knifecan be applied to the face and neck, feet and palms, groin. With papilloma on the eyelid, it is not used. They can use laser or liquid nitrogen.
Freezingis also used on the arms and legs (on the soles of the feet), papillomas on the neck. The cryo method can be called universal. That is safe.
Laser- removes warts anywhere on the body, including under the nails.
The surgical methodis used for large growths on the oral mucosa.
Electrocoagulationis recommended for flat and vulgar warts. It can even be applied on the face. With a large formation, the effect is negligible. Also, electric blades are not used for plantar warts, as they usually have deep and very dense roots.
Important! It is advisable to remove plantar growths only in the hospital.
Chemical methods give good results on plantar, flat and pointed lesions. Physical methods are ineffective in comparison with him.
What method of removing formations does the doctor recommend?
The client chooses, of course, according to his abilities. But he must be guided by the opinion of a doctor for the correct decision. Specialists prefer complex (combined) treatment of warts, in which the main place belongs to the removal.
In addition, treatment will include the administration of oral drugs with antiviral activity. Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus is not 100% cured and in many cases activation depends on immune status, it can be slowed down, "put to sleep", and remission can be prolonged.
In addition to antiviral drugs, immunomodulators are used for this purpose. This is, first of all, a bunch of interferons.
Doctors treat traditional methods without much enthusiasm, because they are not administered by doctors and are not safe. It is fraught with damage to the surrounding tissue, infection, inflammation. Children under 5 years old should not get rid of warts in any way.