Subtleties of the procedure for removing warts with salicylic acid

04/26/2018 I was prompted to write this article by an overwhelming number of questions like: “Can I remove warts at home using various solutions?”

Today I will do a short review of wart removal products and together we will try to figure out how safe and effective such methods are. We will also look at what evidence of effectiveness there is for certain substances.

Flat wart on index finger

More about salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is the active component of willow bark. It is effective in the fight against warts, therefore it is included in many medications aimed at eliminating benign formations. This antimicrobial and antibacterial drug is intended for external use.

When using acid against warts, the following recommendations should be followed:

1. Before applying the medicine, the area of ​​skin with the wart should be thoroughly steamed with warm water. This is necessary to achieve maximum acid action.
2. All manipulations with salicylic acid are best done before bedtime.
3. To treat the affected area, use a cotton swab or gauze soaked in the solution. Avoid contact of salicylic acid with healthy areas of the skin.
4. After applying the product, the wart is covered with a band-aid.

Effect of salicylic acid on the skin

Treatment of warts with salicylic acid quickly allows you to achieve a positive result, and all thanks to the fact that it has a weak antiseptic, irritating and keratolytic effect. Under its influence, the keratinized areas of the skin that make up the wart soften and are easily removed. Penetrating deep into the skin, salicylic acid:

• stimulates blood circulation;
• reduces the activity of the sweat glands, resulting in reduced risks of spreading the papillomavirus;
• eliminates infectious agents that provoke the formation of warts;
• suppresses sebum production;
• cauterization of condylomas and warts provides due to the drying effect;
• blocks the growth and reproduction of tumors.

The problem of self-diagnosis of skin tumors

From the previous section it is clear that drugs for the treatment of warts are divided into 3 groups:

1. Acids, alkalis and other toxic substances.
2. Substances of plant origin that are written in the composition are most likely a distraction.
3. Drugs with proven effectiveness in the treatment of warts.

There are drugs with proven effectiveness in the treatment of warts. What is the problem?

-So what's the problem? - you ask. -We go to the pharmacy, buy the right drug and treat our warts without any doctors there.

“The problem is that you don’t know whether you have a wart or not,” I will answer.

The main difficulty lies in the wording of the question itself. The question you need to ask is not “how to effectively remove warts at home?”

A much better question would be: “How do I know that I have a wart and not skin cancer or melanoma?”

Repeatedly, patients came to see me and called pigmented nevi warts or papillomas. It is quite obvious to me that in most cases a person without specialized education will not be able to distinguish melanoma or skin cancer from a wart.

In the “indications” section for all these drugs it is written “warts, less often keratomas”. Some particularly daring authors also add moles to this pile. The manufacturer of the drug believes that the patient himself is able to make the correct diagnosis. My experience suggests that without a histological examination, even a doctor cannot always accurately determine the nature of a skin tumor by eye.

In the photo - the author with a dermatoscope

Indications and contraindications for the use of salicylic acid

Medicines based on salicylic acid are prescribed to combat skin problems such as:

• seborrhea;
• pimples and blackheads;
• eczema;
• papillomas;
• calluses.

This medicine also has contraindications. It is strictly forbidden to use salicylic acid to remove:

• moles;
• warts localized on the mucous membrane;
• neoplasms of unusual shape, which are localized on the scalp.

In addition, the removal of warts with salicylic acid is prohibited for patients with diabetes mellitus, peripheral artery disease, or during pregnancy.

Options for drugs containing acid

There are 3 forms of salicylic acid-based drugs used to treat warts:

• Salipod patch;
• salicylic alcohol;
• ointment.

Each method of therapy has its own advantages in the fight against human papillomavirus (HPV), but patches containing salicylic acid remain popular for use. It is used much more often than solutions and ointments.

Salipod patch

Salipod patch is the most common treatment for skin tags. In most cases, it is used to eliminate plantar warts. The active ingredients of the patch are salicylic acid and sulfur. The principle of action is to soften the top layer of the wart. When the tissues become soft, sulfur penetrates them, which leads to drying and destruction of the papilloma.

This salicylic acid-based product has an antiseptic effect, preventing recurrence of the skin disease. 1 patch can be used for 48 hours, after which it must be removed and the skin must be cleaned of dead wart cells. Salipod can cause intoxication of the body, so it is not recommended for use in pediatric patients.

Use of salicylic alcohol

Salicylic alcohol is a fairly aggressive substance that has an anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and exfoliating effect. To obtain a drying effect, it is necessary to use a solution with 5-10% acid. The product allows you to suppress the secretion of sweat and sebaceous glands, as well as eliminate inflammation. Helps remove warts of any kind.

The drug should be used with caution, avoiding contact with healthy areas of the skin. The method for removing warts with salicylic alcohol is as follows:

• Doctors advise first softening the area of ​​skin with a growth with warm water and using pumice to remove the upper dead layers of the wart.
• The area around the neoplasm should be lubricated with a thick cream to avoid contact with alcohol.
• Using a cotton swab, the aggressive liquid is applied to the wart.

It is necessary to carry out the treatment about 3 times a day until the skin growth dries and falls off. Salicylic acid solution cannot be used to remove genital and pilar warts, papillomas on the eyelids and mucous membranes of the nose and mouth.

Removing condylomas using ointment

Another effective remedy for getting rid of warts and condylomas is salicylic ointment. Unlike alcohol, it has a gentle effect. Salicylic acid-based ointment to remove papillomas should be used after first reading the instructions. To get rid of a wart, a small layer of the remedy must be applied to the growth, then covered with a sterile napkin and secured with a bandage. Such manipulations need to be done once every 2-3 days until the skin formation disappears.

Before the procedure, the area where the wart is located must be cleaned by wiping with ethyl alcohol and steamed in a warm bath. The use of salicylic ointment is allowed for the treatment of children over 5 years of age, but the duration of treatment should not exceed 7 days.

Chemical coagulation

Silver nitrate

Silver nitrate used to be widely known, primarily as a drug used in newborns to prevent conjunctivitis. But then it was replaced by antibiotics, and was later used to cauterize purulent and umbilical granulomas, for nosebleeds, for calluses and warts. This method is now more widely used in England, where pencil applicators containing 95% silver nitrate are available for sale without a prescription. In the United States, however, the Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers that all over-the-counter products containing colloidal silver or silver salts for internal or external use are not safe. The application of silver nitrate must be done with caution to avoid excessive burns and permanent staining of the tissue. The clinical effectiveness of the method is assessed as average and amounts to 43%, however, a month after the end of therapy, recovery was observed in another 26%. Silver nitrate was applied three times, with a break of three days between each application. Treatment in the placebo group resulted in 11% recovery and 14% improvement.

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is the treatment that most patients choose first as it is the least expensive. This is keratolytic therapy, i.e. accompanied by the destruction of the epidermis infected with the virus, while the irritating effect of salicylic acid leads to an increase in the local immune response. Salicylic acid is used in concentrations ranging from 10 to 60%. Over-the-counter preparations available include 17% salicylic acid in cream form and 40% patch. The main advantages of salicylic acid: ease of use, economic benefits, minor pain. The disadvantage of this method is its duration. The main side effect is contact dermatitis. Warts are soaked in warm water for 5 minutes, then surface hyperkeratosis is removed using pumice and salicylic acid is applied. Salicylic acid in the form of a cream is changed every day, in the form of a patch every 48 hours. Patients (especially children) usually accept this type of treatment well. A review of 13 different studies on the effectiveness of salicylic acid in concentrations ranging from 15% to 60% (more researchers used salicylic acid from 15% to 26%, sometimes in combination with lactic acid) found the effectiveness of this treatment to be 75%, compared with 48 % in the placebo group. Monotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, glutaraldehyde, cryotherapy, or podophyllin treatment was less effective than salicylic acid treatment. Plantar warts are especially suitable for treatment with this method, in contrast to warts on the face, the treatment of which is complicated by irritation and potentially dangerous scarring.

Cantharidin

Cantharidin (cantharidic acid anhydride) is obtained from the gonads of the beetle known as the Spanish fly. The use of this drug leads to epidermal cell necrosis, acantholysis, which is clinically manifested by the formation of a bladder. As of 1992, the drug is no longer available in the United States, but can still be purchased in Canada. Method of use: cantharidin, like salicylic acid, is applied to a wart that has previously been cleared of hyperkeratosis and covered with a band-aid for 24 hours. A blister forms at the site of the wart, which will heal in 1 to 2 weeks. Cantharidin can be reapplied after 1-3 weeks. The effectiveness of treatment for both plantar and periungual warts is quite high and amounts to 80%. The advantages of the method are the absence of pain and scarring. Unfortunately, no randomized, placebo-controlled trials have been conducted for the treatment of warts vulgaris with cantharidin.

Additional Information:

• Traditional and alternative treatments
• Surgical excision
• Cryotherapy
• Laser destruction methods
• Photodynamic therapy
• Therapy aimed at destroying the virus
• Antimitotic therapy
• Immunotropic therapy

Possible side effects

When warts appear on the body, many people resort to traditional methods of treatment, but they do not always get the desired result. Despite the many positive qualities, after using drugs containing salicylic acid, side effects may occur in the form of irritation, itching and burning. The most dangerous side effect may be a burn and subsequent scarring with the formation of a scar.

To avoid such consequences, it is important to follow the following safety rules when using salicylic-based products:

1. Before starting the procedure, the area around the tumor should be well lubricated with Vaseline or fatty cream.
2. The product should be applied exclusively to the wart.
3. Sterile wipes are intended for single use. Dead wart cells remain infectious even after they are removed, so using wipes more than once can cause re-infection.

Advantages and disadvantages of using acid-based drugs

Using medications based on salicylic acid can get rid of warts, but first you should weigh all the positive and negative aspects. The benefits of drugs are much greater, but you still shouldn’t get carried away with them. The benefits include:

• high therapeutic effect;
• minimal pain during use;
• decreased sebum production;
• reduction of inflammation;
• destruction of bacteria;
• effective exfoliation of dead cells.

Minuses:

• long treatment period;
• not suitable for extremely dry and sensitive skin;
• not suitable for removing tumors in many areas of the body.

It is important to understand that neoplasms on the surface of the skin appear due to infection with human papillomavirus. In this regard, therapy must be comprehensive, and it can only be prescribed by the attending physician after a thorough examination has been carried out and the diagnosis has been confirmed.

How to get rid of plantar warts?

What are warts?

Warts are benign skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus; this virus penetrates the skin and mucous membranes. The most common manifestation of HPV infection in humans is the manifestation of plantar warts. More than 150 subtypes of HPV are known in the world, some of them can be localized in certain areas of the body. HPV type 1 can primarily affect the feet and soles, resulting in plantar warts.

How do warts appear?

Typically, infection with HPV, which causes warts, occurs through direct contact with an infected area of ​​skin, or through contaminated objects. Such violations of the protective function of the skin: cuts, abrasions, hangnails, dermatitis of various kinds, can contribute to the development of the disease. Warts manifest themselves symptomatically through growths on the skin, which cause discomfort and pain, both at rest and while walking, which greatly interferes with the life of a modern person.

How to cure plantar warts?

The most effective treatment method is to remove warts that have already appeared. Chemical destruction with salicylic acid-based preparations or removal with liquid nitrogen can be used. These methods are the most proven, accessible and effective, but other removal methods are also acceptable:

Laser burning. Using a medical laser, the resulting growth is removed in layers; local anesthesia can be used. The method causes the least trauma to the body and does not cause cosmetic defects in the area with the wart.

Electrocoagulation. Due to the impact of high-frequency current on an area of ​​skin, the roots of the wart are burned out, but after the wound has healed, scarring and scarring may appear.

Surgical removal. Surgical removal of warts is used when the roots of the growth are deep. Radio wave surgery uses high-frequency radio waves (3.8 - 4.0 MHz), which completely get rid of the wart.

A method that has proven itself well in the treatment of plantar warts is cryodestruction. Carrying out this procedure over a diseased area of ​​skin is extremely effective; due to the extremely low temperature of nitrogen, any organic formations will be destroyed. Cryodestruction has no contraindications; it does not require injections of anesthetics, which can cause dangerous allergic reactions. You can read more about the removal of plantar warts using cryodestruction in our article about cryodestruction.

The use of destruction with chemicals (salicylic acid) and the use of cryodestruction are the first methods for removing simple and plantar warts. Unfortunately, plantar warts can become resistant to the chosen treatment method, requiring repeat treatment in the future. It is worth remembering that even complete removal of warts does not lead to a cure for the HPV that causes them, so relapse is possible.

What are the advantages of these types of plantar wart removal?

Chemical destruction is a painless, bloodless method of removal with minimal side effects.

Cryodestruction is a method that does not require anesthesia, preliminary preparation and the procedure itself takes several minutes. By using cryodestruction, you choose a bloodless method for plantar wart removal, with minimal side effects, and rapid healing allows you to quickly return to a comfortable everyday life.

Radio wave removal - this method of surgical treatment allows you to completely get rid of the tumor in one procedure. Minimal trauma to the skin, ensures better wound healing.

Ways to prevent the spread and occurrence of plantar warts:

● Use only personal shoes and leather goods.

● Use replaceable shoes when visiting swimming pools, shared showers, locker rooms, and baths.

● Use personal hygiene products when processing, cleaning, trimming nails and foot skin.

● Take care of the skin of your hands and feet, avoid excess skin moisture, damage, and prevent dryness and cracks.