How to remove warts?

Warts, also known as viral warts, are a very common pathology among people. They appear when a skin infection occurs due to Human Papillomavirus (HPV). They are very frequent especially in children.

Specialists in Child Dermatology , claim that most warts disappear spontaneously when the immune system learns to fight against them. Approximately 60% of warts disappear within two years without any treatment.

Types of warts

There are different types of warts depending on the area they affect.

• Common warts : Appear mostly on the hands, both on the palms and on the back. In some locations, such as on the face, they may have an elongated and hanging appearance.
• Flat warts : This type of warts mainly affect children. They tend to be numerous and flattened and are usually located on the face and hands.
• Genital warts: They are a type of sexually transmitted disease (STD) that are also known as condylomata.. They can be prevented by using the condom.
• Plantar warts: They affect the sole of the foot, which can cause discomfort or pain when walking.

How to eliminate warts?

There are many ways to treat warts. Moreover, sometimes it is necessary to resort to different treatments to eliminate a wart permanently. The removal of a wart may take up to a month. There are two types of treatments: those that are performed in the doctor's office and those that can be done at home.

Among those performed in the medical consultation, the most common treatments are:

• Cryotherapy : It consists of applying a cold spray based on liquid nitrogen that helps to freeze the wart. It can produce blisters.
• Electrocoagulation : Physical destruction of the wart using a radiofrequency scalpel. It is used under local anesthesia.
• Curettage : Methodical scraping of the wart with a cutting object such as a curette or a scalpel blade. This reduces the size of the wart and thus allows other treatments to act on it.

As for the treatments that usually take place at home, they are common:

• Topical keratolytics : Topical preparations are prepared that contain products that produce a superficial and controlled burn of the wart. They are applied by means of an applicator brush, impregnated discs or included in excipients such as Vaseline.
• Oral medications: They are used in some cases to help stimulate the immune system.

If you have any doubt at the time of starting one treatment or another, it is best to consult a dermatologist to ensure the diagnosis and specify what type of treatment is appropriate according to the type of wart and the patient's circumstances.