Warts are formations on the skin and mucous membranes of a benign nature, which occur due to the activation of the human papillomavirus.
They do not look aesthetically pleasing and often cause complex. A person wants to get rid of them but does not know how.
Should we remove the collection?
This depends on the size of the papilloma, their nature and the age of the person. But more often than not, the answer is undoubtedly positive, because warts are contagious and can be transmitted to others. Maybe self-infection is also autoinoculation.
First, the infectivity of neoplasms manifests itself not only through direct contact with them, but also when you use ordinary household items, personal hygiene items or simply touching the places where an infected person hasaffected. For example, a bus railing.
Second, the localization of the warts can be in a place that is most likely to be damaged - neck, legs, armpits, hips. These places more often than others are rubbed with clothes, squeezed and touched. Then it is filled with malice, bloodshed, overcrowding.
Third, formations can increase in size and number, this causes aesthetic problems. This phenomenon can be called the occupation of territory by a wart.
Important! Not always, but perhaps the degeneration of a wart into melanoma, an aggressive incurable skin cancer.
Main misconceptions about the risk of surgery
Early treatment and treatment of warts is the best option. This will save you a lot of time, effort and money. Although 70% of warts can disappear spontaneously after 2 years of their existence, they can return with the same success and, moreover, to new places.
The fear of many people when contacting a surgeon is related to the fear of surgery, its complications, recurrences and possible pain during the procedure. They are completely unfounded, as modern methods offer very good pain relief, and many of them do not require anesthesia at all.
There is still a widespread belief that the extra touch of a wart with a surgeon's knife will increase its growth. This is the deepest deception - it is the surgical intervention that will prevent the spread of the virus and prevent the growth of the wart. Fortunately, there are plenty of methods for this.
Strange can be called those patients who are not afraid to use traditional methods grown at home and refuse qualified help. The experience and qualifications of a doctor are, of course, essential, but a good surgeon is not uncommon.
And one more help - do not rely on cosmetologists and run to them with warts. They just do not have enough medical education.
Modern Methods
There are newer or older removal methods. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the effect depends on the size of the wart, its position and the depth of growth.
All methods can be grouped into 3 groups: equipment, surgical and chemical. Alternative treatment refers more to the method of physical (mechanical) impact.
The doctor, when contacted, can recommend the best option, according to him, but the final choice is made by the patient himself.
A prior consultation is also necessary because not all the methods you have chosen may be appropriate, as there are contraindications and limitations.
Laser treatment
The laser method can be called universal. Of all the methods, he is at the top today. With the help of a laser, you can remove warts in the most difficult, delicate and painful places. Alsoshte also useful in that it does not give wounds. The beam is safer and less traumatic.
The efficiency is high enough for one procedure. The essence of the thermal effect on the wart is burning with temperature. Healing is fast, without signs and complications.
More laser pluses:
- the patient does not feel pain;
- no anesthesia required;
- complete removal;
- fast - lasts 1-2 minutes. Recurrences are only possible in 20% of cases.
Burning leaves a fossa that heals in 2 weeks. The skin can be temporarily relieved, which also disappears on its own after 3 weeks.
Cauterization with liquid nitrogen
Cryodestruction is the freezing of a wart by the method of low temperatures using liquid nitrogen. Duration - 30 seconds. Freezing leads to the death of growth tissue. When exposed to freezing, the papilloma thickens and turns white. After a minute, it turns red and swells.
A bubble of gray liquid will appear in the house. In a week, it will explode on its own and a crust will form. The bark heals and falls off in 2 weeks.
A pink stain remains, gradually its color will become equal to the skin. The formation will disappear within 2 weeks and a reddish stain appears at the site of removal, which gradually disappears.
Pro:
- no pain, no scarring and no anesthesia required;
- there is no infection or bleeding.
The only downside is that there is no way to control the depth of impact.
On the soles of the feet, the impact lasts about 1 minute. The procedure can be repeated in a single part up to 5 times. Minus - long wound healing.
Electrocoagulation
Electrocoagulation for warts uses high frequency currents. Focus on a loop that cuts the warts. The moxibustion temperature is about 80 degrees.
There is no bleeding due to the simultaneous clotting of blood vessels. Local anesthesia is required. A big plus of the method is that it prevents further spread of the virus. Moreover, the method is quite budget and effective.
The surrounding tissues should be covered and the skin disinfected. There is also a crust stage. Disappears within a week. After that, it remains an almost invisible, transparent scar, but more often a light spot. No repetition!
Implementation of radio wave therapy
The method is considered to be no less effective than electricity. Moxibustion is done using special equipment, a doctor will help you choose the right one. This is a radio wave generator, its high frequency electric waves do not touch the warts but interrupt it completely.
The essence of the action is that the cells and warts contain fluid, which expands with radio waves, the wart swells and explodes. The work is done with a special tip that resembles a pen.
No signs or infections. The only downside is the pain of the procedure, because of this, the growth is pre-lubricated with an anesthetic. Healthy cells are not damaged. Moxibustion lasts about 20 minutes.
Tips! In the crust stage, it cannot be wetted and peeled! It disappears on its own in a week.
Surgical incision
Surgical removal is a traditional, classical method, which is performed with a scalpel. Now not often used. The method is traumatic and gives recurrences, wounds.
There is a risk of damage to adjacent tissue, the possibility of infection. But it is irreplaceable if the wart is large. Under local anesthesia with a special spoon, after cutting, the wart is pierced. Seams are cosmetic, they are removed after a week. The scar remains about 3 mm in size, it fades over time.
Chemical Moxibustion
Forming is done with an acid or alkali. After a certain time, rinse. There are usually at least 6 procedures to achieve the effect. There is a burning sensation or tingling sensation during it. The wart dries and falls off.
Disadvantages:
- there is a risk of further spread of the virus and infection is not ruled out;
- healthy tissues are often damaged; wounds
- are possible, healing takes about 10 days.
The method is used only if other methods are impossible.
Advantages and disadvantages of different methods, which is better
Every removal method has its pros and cons, there is no ideal option. Today the most popular methods are: laser therapy, cryotherapy, electrocautery, radio waves, surgical scalpel - in descending order of frequency of use. The cost of the first 3 methods is actually in the same price range.
The laser is the first to lead: there are no inaccessible places for it, it is safe, fast and painless. Cryodestruction is considered the second most effective, but with it it is not possible to control the depth of exposure, due to 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 experience of the doctor is of great importance for quality.
How does the location and type of growth affect the choice of technique?
There are 4 types of warts:
- vulgar- in the form of small knots, often growing on the toes and feet, on the back of the hands;
- flat- typical of teenagers, they are in the form of prominent spots; these include the toe (thorns);
- thread (chords)- thin elastic protrusions on the legs, appearing on the face (eyelids, lips) and neck;
- genital warts - often localized in the mucosa of the genitals; in appearance they resemble cauliflower.
These 4 types are of viral origin and belong to real warts.
But there are also senile keratomas, which are caused by functional disorders in the skin. They do not require treatment, only observation. Cryotherapy can be used if desired.
The doctor recommends a removal method, but ultimately the patient chooses. How the choice of method depends on the type of warts: small formations can be safely removed with a radio knife, or liquid nitrogen.
Radio Knifeis applicable to face and neck, legs and palms, groin. With papillomas on the eyelids, not used. They can use a laser or liquid nitrogen.
Freezingis also used on the hands and feet (toes), papillomas on the neck. The cryo method can be called universal. It's safe.
Laser- removes any warts on any part of the body, including under the nail.
Surgical methodis used for large growths in the oral mucosa.
Electrocoagulationis recommended for flat and vulgar warts. Can also be applied to the face. With large formations, the effect is negligible. Also, an electric knife is not used for plantar warts because they usually have deep roots and they are very dense.
Important! It is advisable to remove foot growths only in a hospital.
The chemical method gives good results in flat, pronounced foot injuries. Physical methods are ineffective compared to it.
Which method of removing formations do doctors recommend?
The client chooses, of course, according to his abilities. But he should be guided by the opinion of the doctor about the right decision. Specialists prefer complex (combined) treatment of warts, where the main place belongs to the removal.
Furthermore, treatment will include oral administration of drugs with antiviral activity. Although the HPV (human papillomavirus) virus is not 100% cured and in many respects its activation depends on the state of the immune system, it can be slowed down, "put to sleep" and forgiveness can be extended.
In addition to antiviral drugs, immunomodulators are used for this purpose. This is, first of all, a group of interferons.
Doctors treat folk methods without much enthusiasm, as the treatment is not performed by doctors and will be unsafe. It is full of surrounding tissue damage, infection, inflammation. Children under 5 years should not remove warts in any way.