Warts are non-dangerous neoplasms that appear as a result of human papillomavirus infection. Today we will talk about how to get rid of warts in various ways, including home and medical ones.
More than a hundred types of viruses have already been described, there are no age and sexual barriers, so warts appear on the body of both men and women. Let's see what ways of infection and treatment methods exist.
Why do warts appear
The reason for the appearance of wartsis human papillomavirus infection. The most common route of infection is through micro-damage on the skin, after which the growth of the upper layer of the epidermis is activated, which forms a wart. The growths are painless, but from a psychological point of view warts are an unpleasant phenomenon, because the formations on the face, fingers and other visible parts of the body disfigure their appearance.
HPV infectionis a human papillomavirus that infects men and women. Some types of papillomaviruses (16 and 18) are capable of provoking the growth of cancer cells, they are assigned to the high-risk group. Viruses of this group are transmitted through sexual contact. Most viruses, 90%, are safe, a strong immune system is able to fight infections. In this case, information about medicinal and hardware methods of getting rid of warts will become irrelevant.
How is HPV transmitted?The mechanism of infection by the virus is as follows: the infection penetrates the organs through the mucous membranes, the lesions on the skin and then migrates to the nervous tissue. Once infected, a person remains infected forever. Doctors associate changes in the state of the epithelium with the state of the nervous system: emotional shock, stressful situation and affected areas appear on the body. Many patients do not suspect that they are ill, because the infection can "doze off" and wait for favorable circumstances to arise.
The virus infects many patients, but not all contract warts. There are risk factors:
- Direct contact with an infected person - sexual contact, kissing, handshake;
- Contact with infected objects;
- Mechanical damage to the epithelium;
- Weakened immunity.
How not to contract HPV?No specific preventive measures are provided. To minimize the chances of infection, it is important to follow the medical guidelines:
- Avoid contact with infected people;
- Provide regular and comprehensive skin care;
- Maintain immunity.
Some countries have approved a vaccine against the most dangerous human papillomaviruses - 16 and 18. Today, this is the best way to get rid of warts and protect the body from infections.
What are the types of formations
According to statistics, 85% of the total population is infected with HPV, but 60% of patients are not even aware of the problem, because they do not experience any symptoms. If an infection occurs, the wart will appear at the end of the incubation period.
Common (vulgar) warts:
- General information. 65% of warts are common or vulgar warts. They appear exclusively on the body of a child of school age;
- Location location. On any site, but more often on the hands;
- Shape and size. Resembles a dome, size 0. 5ml to 1. 5cm;
- Structure and color. To the touch they resemble hard, keratinized skin, the surface is covered with villi.
To get rid of warts, it is necessary to remove the largest wart, the maternal one, after which the smaller formations disappear by themselves.
Flat (or juvenile) warts:
- General information. They appear up to 25 years;
- Location location. They appear on the legs, arms and face;
- Shape and size. Papules up to 5 mm in diameter;
- Structure and color. The surface is smooth or scaly, resembling flesh-colored nodules.
Rarely appears on the glans.
Plantar and palmar warts (horny warts):
- General information. This type of growth is a common type of warts, it is characterized by increased sensitivity when walking. In appearance, the growths do not differ from calluses. The formations appear in areas of frequent friction on the soles of the feet and palms;
- Location location. Soles and palms;
- Shape and dimensions. Palmar and plantar wart - formation of a round shape with a diameter of not more than 1. 5 cm;
- Structure and color. The formations are hard to the touch, dark in color.
If you prefer to wear tight synthetic shoes and often heavy manual labor, chances are you will soon have to find a way to get rid of warts.
Filiform warts (acrochords):
- General information. If the growths are damaged, the formation becomes inflamed and increases in size;
- Location location. The formations affect the face, areas under the breast, armpits;
- Shape and dimensions. They look like a bundle of threads (5-6 pieces), the diameter of the wart is from 1 to 3 cm;
- The flesh color of education.
Warts or genital warts:
- General information. Warts appear on the body of adult and child patients and can develop into large colonies;
- Location location. In children, they appear in the nasolabial folds, in adults, the genitals, areas under the mammary glands, armpits are affected. In rare cases, they appear in the throat after oral intercourse;
- Shape and dimensions. Due to its unusual shape it is compared to cockscomb and cauliflower. Genital warts are small and not amenable to visual diagnosis;
- Color. Pale pink in color, when rubbed, they turn deep red and bleed.
This type of wart is transmitted during intimacy, causing bleeding and unpleasant discomfort.
How to get rid of the problem
If you find changes in the skin, do not rush to get rid of warts. Skin conditions are likely to return to normal after a few months. The main goal of removing the growth is to remove it so that scar tissue does not appear, so you need to select a method of removing the neoplasm with great care. Facial skin lesions in the genital area are best treated under the supervision of a doctor.
Folk remedies
Essential oils.Treat affected areas daily with a blend of pine and lemon oils.
- Apply a mixture of patchouli and hyssop oils on the bactericidal patch; change the sticker every day.
- Eucalyptus and thyme tea tree oil are mixed in equal parts, the mixture is applied to the damaged areas twice a day. To strengthen the immune system, use chamomile, citrus, or lavender essential oils.
Medicinal herbs.Kalanchoe and aloe leaves help get rid of warts at home. The procedure is performed as follows:
- To soften the formation, apply a napkin moistened with a soda solution to the affected area for 10-15 minutes.
- Then a leaf of a medicinal plant is applied, having previously cleaned it to a pulp and fixed with a bandage. The procedure lasts from 3 to 7 hours, the full course is 7-10 sessions.
Celandine for warts.The most popular way to combat formations, as the plant has a powerful antibacterial effect.
- The affected areas are treated with celandine juice twice a day.
- The minimum course is two weeks, with massive epithelial lesions it can take up to two months.
- If it is impossible to find a plant, you can buy a pharmaceutical preparation based on celandine.
Conspiracy.Another way to get rid of a wart. To perform the ceremony, you will need a 30 cm long red thread of a natural material, such as cotton.
- When a young moon appears in the sky, go outside, touch the thread at the growths and tie a knot on it for each.
- When you tie a thread, say the text: "Month, young month, bring this ailment with you. "
- So the wire is buried in the ground.
Skin diseases are a symptom of pathological internal processes, so do not limit yourself to folk recipes, it is advisable to consult a doctor, find out the cause of the disease and undergo medical treatment for warts.
Pharmaceutical products
Medicines for removing warts are sold in pharmacies without a prescription, it is difficult to choose the best remedy, everything is determined by the individual characteristics of the patient. The choice of the most effective drug is best left to the doctor. According to the method of action, pharmaceutical products are presented in three groups:
- For cryotherapy;
- Necrotizing action;
- Keratolics;
If necessary, the course of therapy is supplemented with antiviral and immunomodulatory agents.
Laser removal
Doctors in many countries recommend eliminating warts using this technique, this method is recognized as the most effective for removal:
- Sole lesions;
- Common warts;
- Flat neoplasms.
The physician must inform the patient of all contraindications.
Characteristics of laser exposure:
- The laser beam does not leave scars, it does not cause inflammatory reactions;
- Under the influence of extreme temperatures in the affected area, the pathogenic microflora dies;
- There is no contact with the skin during the procedure, this excludes the possibility of further skin damage;
- The specialist checks the parameters of the laser beam - power and degree of exposure, so the patient does not feel any discomfort, no complications arise;
- In 2 weeks, the skin is completely restored: a dry crust appears, after 10-14 days it disappears by itself, a young and healthy epithelium appears under it.
The dark crust should not be torn off, the solarium and swimming pool should not be visited, disinfectants are used for treatment.
Removal of liquid nitrogen
Another popular technique for removing warts. For the procedure, a wooden stick is used with a soft cotton swab or a special cryoplicator - a tube with a container in which the active substance is placed. At the first visit to a specialist, possible contraindications are identified. The safest way to cauterize warts is selected:
- Soft - activates local immunity;
- Aggressive: a bubble forms under the skin, it is cut by the hardware method together with the neoplasm.
Characteristics of the procedure:
- Pathogenic cells die under the influence of low temperature (-196 degrees), as a result, the skin becomes inflamed and immune processes are activated.
- The applicator is applied forcefully to the skin for 40-60 seconds, during which time the substance evaporates.
- To get rid of the wart, the specialist captures the skin surface 1 ml more than the growth.
- After the procedure, the neoplasm acquires a white tint, a bubble appears, which after 2-3 days turns into a crust and disappears by itself.
Complete removal of growths by cryotherapy is performed in 2-3 sessions with a one-week break.
Removal by electrocoagulation
This is a powerful technique that cleanses the skin in any part of the body except the heels. The procedure is performed using an electrocoagulator. Removal of neoplasms occurs due to exposure to the affected areas of the high-frequency current.
Characteristics of the procedure:
- You can cleanse your skin in one sitting;
- The duration of the procedure is up to one minute;
- Anesthetics should be used;
- Cauterization of blood vessels occurs, which prevents bleeding;
- Recovery period - 10 days;
- After the procedure, the affected area is treated with antiseptic drugs;
- No scars remain.
The main benefit of electrocautery is the prevention of new injuries. In some cases, the patient feels itching and burning, but the discomfort quickly disappears.
Prevention of warts
Epithelial lesions are a symptom, not a cause. If you act only on the consequence, the risk of relapse is high, so it is important to strengthen the immune system so that in extreme situations the body can resist infections. Now you know how to get rid of warts on various parts of the body and clean the skin forever.