Warts are benign formations on the skin and mucous membranes, which occur as a result of human papillomavirus activation.
They do not look aesthetic and often cause complexity. Someone wants to get rid of them, but does not know how.
Do we need to dump the stack?
It depends on the size of the papilloma, its nature and age. But more often than not, the answer is clearly positive, as warts are contagious and can be spread to others. Maybe self-infection is also autoinoculated.
First, neoplasms are transmitted not only through direct contact with them, but also when using ordinary household items, personal hygiene items, or simply touching the place where the infected person touches. For example, holding a bus.
Second, localization of warts can be in the most likely place of injury - neck, legs, armpits, groin. These places are more frequent than others rubbing clothes, squeezing and touching. Then it is full of violence, bleeding, excessive growth.
Third, formation can increase in size and number, this causes aesthetic problems. This phenomenon can be called territorial conquest by warts.
Important! Not always, but it may be the degeneration of warts into melanoma, an incurable aggressive skin cancer.
Major misconceptions about the dangers of surgery
Early treatment and treatment of warts are the best options. It will save a lot of time, effort and money. Although 70% of warts can disappear spontaneously after 2 years of existence, they can return with the same success and, moreover, to a new place.
Many fears when contacting a surgeon are associated with fears of surgery, complications, relapses, and pain that may occur during the procedure. They are completely unfounded, as modern methods provide excellent pain relievers, and many do not require anesthesia at all.
There is still widespread opinion that the addition of extra warts with a surgeon's knife will increase its growth. This is the deepest misconception - surgical intervention will prevent the spread of the virus and prevent warts from growing. Fortunately, there are adequate methods for this.
Strange can be called a patient who is not afraid to use traditional methods at home and refuses qualified help. The experience and qualifications of a doctor are of course very important, but a good surgeon is not uncommon.
And another help - do not rely on cosmetologists and run to them with warts. They do not have adequate medical education.
Modern Methods
There are newer or older removal methods. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the effect depends on the size of the wart, its position and depth of growth.
All methods can be grouped into 3 groups: hardware, surgery and chemistry. Alternative treatment is more related to the method of physical impact (mechanical).
When you contact a doctor, he or she may recommend the best option, in his or her opinion, but the last choice is made by the patient himself.
Preliminary consultation is also required as not all methods you choose may be appropriate, as there are contraindications and limitations.
Laser Treatment
The laser method can be called universal. Among all the methods, he leads today. With the help of a laser, you can get rid of warts in the most difficult, delicate and painful places. It is also beneficial for not giving scars. Beams are the safest and least traumatic.
The efficiency is so high that one procedure is enough. The essence of the thermal effect on warts burns with temperature. Fast healing, without scars and complications.
More laser advantages:
- patients do not feel pain;
- no anesthesia required;
- complete removal;
- fast - takes 1-2 minutes. Relapse occurs only in 20% of cases.
Burning leaves the fossa healed within 2 weeks. The skin may subside temporarily, which also disappears on its own after 3 weeks.
Cauterization with liquid nitrogen
Cryodestruction is the freezing of warts by the low temperature method using liquid nitrogen. Duration - 30 seconds. Freezing leads to the death of growth tissue. When exposed to coagulation, the papilloma thickens and turns white. After a minute, he turned red and swollen.
Gray liquid bubbles will appear at home. Within a week, it will break through on its own and a crust will form. The crust heals and falls within 2 weeks.
The pink dots remain, gradually the color will be the same as the skin. The formation will disappear in 2 weeks and pink spots appear at the site of removal, which gradually disappears.
Advantages:
- does not need pain, scars and does not need anesthesia;
- no infection or bleeding.
The only drawback is that there is no way to control the depth of the effect.
On the soles of the feet, the impact lasts about 1 minute. This procedure can be repeated on the soles of the feet up to 5 times. Minus - long wound healing.
Electrocoagulation
Electrocoagulation for warts using high frequency current. It focuses on loops that cut the warts. The moxibustion temperature is about 80 degrees.
There is no bleeding due to simultaneous clotting of blood vessels. Local anesthesia is required. The big advantage of this method is that it prevents the virus from spreading further. In addition, the method is quite approximate and effective.
The surrounding tissue should be closed and the skin should be disinfected. There is also a level of crust. It disappeared in a week. After this, the scars are almost invisible and permanent, but more often there are bright spots. No relapse!
Radio wave therapy applications
This method is considered to be no less effective than electric current. Moxibustion is done using special tools, the doctor will help you choose the right one. This is a radio wave generator, high frequency electric waves do not touch the warts, but cut them completely.
The essence of its action is that the wart cell contains fluid, which expands with radio waves, the wart swells and ruptures. The work is done with a special end that resembles a ballpoint pen.
No scars or infections. The only drawback is the pain of the procedure, because of this, the accumulation is pre-lubricated with anesthetic. Healthy cells are not damaged. Moxibustion lasts about 20 minutes.
Advice! At the level of the earth's crust, it cannot be wetted and peeled! He disappeared in a week.
Surgical surgery
Surgical removal is a traditional, classic method performed with a scalpel. It is not often used now. The method is traumatic and has the effect of relapse, scarring.
There is a risk of damage to adjacent tissues, possible infection. But can not be replaced if the warts are large. Under local anesthesia with a special spoon, after incision, the wart is scraped off. The stitches are cosmetic, they are removed after a week. The scar remains around 3 mm, it fades over time.
Chemical Moksibusi
Formation is followed by acid or alkali. After a certain time, wash. There are usually at least 6 procedures to achieve this effect. There is a burning sensation or tingling sensation during it. Warts dry and fall off.
Disadvantages:
- there is a risk of the virus spreading further and infection is not excluded;
- healthy tissue is often damaged;
- scars are possible, healing takes about 10 days.
This method is used only if other methods are not possible.
Advantages and disadvantages of different methods, whichever is better
Any removal method has its pros and cons, there is no suitable option. Today the most popular methods are: laser therapy, cryotherapy, electrocautery, radio waves, scalpel - in order of decreasing frequency of use. The cost of the first 3 methods is actually in the same price range.
Laser is the first to lead: no place is impassable, safe, fast and painless. Cryodestruction is considered the second most effective, but thus there is no possibility of controlling the depth of exposure, due to the possibility of relapse.
And another conclusion - lasers can produce only 1 small formation in 1 session.
Cryotherapy occurs 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 affect the selection of techniques?
There are 4 types of warts:
- vulgar- in the form of small nodules, often growing on the fingers and toes, the back of the hand;
- flat- special for teenagers, they are in the form of prominent spots; this includes plantar (thorns);
- like acrochords- thin elastic growths on the legs, appearing on the face (eyelids, lips) and neck;
- genital warts - often localized on the mucous membranes of the genitals; resembling cauliflower in appearance.
These 4 types are viral and belong to real warts.
But there is also dementia keratoma, which is caused by functional disorders of the skin. They do not require treatment, only observation. Cryotherapy can be used if desired.
The doctor recommended the removal method, but eventually the patient chose. How the choice of method depends on the type of wart: small formations can be safely removed byradio waves "knives", or liquid nitrogen.
Radio knivesoccur on the face and neck, legs and palms, groin. With papilloma on the eyelid, it is not used. They can use lasers or liquid nitrogen.
Freezingis also used on the arms and legs (in the soles of the feet), papillomas on the neck. The cryo method can be called universal. It's safe.
Laser- removes warts on any part of the body, including under the nails.
Surgical methodis used for large growths on the oral mucosa.
Electrocoagulationis recommended for flat and vulgar warts. Can even be applied on the face. With large formations, the effect is inevitable. Also, electric knives are not used for plantar warts, as they usually have deep and very dense roots.
Important! It is best to eliminate plant growth only in hospitals.
Chemical methods give good results on plantar, flat and pointed lesions. Physical methods are ineffective when compared to them.
What is the method of removing the formation recommended by the doctor?
Customers choose, of course, according to their ability. But he must be guided by the opinion of the doctor for the right decision. Specialists prefer complex (combination) wart treatment, where the main place is removal.
In addition, treatment will include the administration of oral medications with antiviral activity. Although the HPV virus (human papillomavirus) is not 100% cured and its activation is highly dependent on the state of the immune system, it can be slowed down, "put to sleep", and remission can last.
In addition to antiviral drugs, immunomodulators are used for this purpose. This is, first of all, a group of interferon.
Doctors treat folk methods without much enthusiasm, because such treatments are not carried out by doctors and will be unsafe. This is fraught with damage to the surrounding tissues, infections, inflammation. Children under the age of 5 cannot remove warts in any way.