Warts can be removed gently and painlessly

Because warts and other skin growths often look similar, many people confuse them. The following is a description of the most common types.

• Warts are harder and usually have a rougher surface. Small black dots (blood vessels that nourish the wart) are often visible at the centre.

• Another common type of skin growth are fibroma. Unlike wartsthey tend to be soft, usually look like small stalks with a round head, and are most often located on the neck, armpits, under the breasts or in the groin area. This is because they usually form at the site of friction and skin irritation. Fibromas are not infectious, so they cannot be transmitted from one person to another.

• Other skin formations that people confuse with warts include birthmarks. They are usually monochrome and do not change from month to month (they can darken due to hormonal changes). Sometimes they have hair growth.

• Water warts  are red growths that mainly affect children and adolescents. They are caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus, to which most adults are resistant. They begin as a small bump, the colour of the skin and size of a pinhead. Growth is not usually painful. Over time, the bump increases to the size of a bead and tends to have a sunken dimple in the centre.

Most warts can be removed at home using over-the-counter products. Usually, the sooner treatment begins, the easier it is to remove the wart. However, the foundation of successful treatment is always consistency, patience and following the correct procedure throughout the treatment.

• Salicylic acid  is among the most commonly used substances to remove warts. The acid gently breaks down tough, hypertrophic skin that needs to be removed regularly. The acid causes the tissue to necrotize (die), so its removal is painless. During treatment, the wart thus gradually peels off. The acid must be applied daily for several days, sometimes weeks. Treatment using this method is painless, so it’s also suitable for children. Salicylic acid is a gentle substance that is well tolerated. It is therefore recommended as the first choice for removing warts. Salicylic acid may be supplemented by other active substances that support treatment such as celandine with antimicrobial effects, which is well-known in homeopathic medicine.

• Caustic agents, which include formic acid, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), chloroacetic acid (MCAA) and nitric acid, are now less preferred treatments due to the possibility of dermatitis. In addition, caustic agents can also cause burns or necrosis with subsequent scarring, and therefore preparations containing these substances need to be handled with great care. Caustic agents are usually applied once a week.

• Home cryotherapy works on the principle of freezing the wart. Today, this can be done at home using various applicators (pens filled with a mixture of gases). As a result of freezing, a blister forms under the wart and the wart should fall off within a few days. However, home cryotherapy does not have the same efficacy as freezing with liquid nitrogen by a doctor, where the freezing temperature is more than double (-197 °C). After application, the area can be sensitive to painful, similar to frostbite. There is also the risk of scarring or pigmentation with this method.

You should see a doctor, preferably a dermatologist, in cases where warts are widespread, large, or affect the face and sensitive areas, or do not respond to other treatments and keep returning. They will recommend the appropriate treatment, which can be:

• Cryotherapy   A procedure in which liquid nitrogen is applied to the wart tissue. This freezes it at a temperature of around -197 °C. A wart treated in this way should fall off after a few days. Cryotherapy is a method that’s highly praised by dermatologists due to its effectiveness and efficacy.

• Burning   This method is most commonly used for warts on the feet when the wart is deep, trampled or large. It is usually performed with a laser, where a beam of light is directed at the surface of the wart, which destroys the tissue. The treatment can also be combined with a vascular laser, which destroys the blood vessels that nourish the wart. When using an electrosurgical method, the wart tissue is burned with a high-frequency electric current.

• Curettage   This involves scraping or cutting out a wart with a scalpel. It is often necessary to repeat this treatment to completely remove the wart.

• Use of caustic agents   Chloroacetic acid (MCAA) is used most often in surgeries to treat warts in children, but this method is no longer preferred by doctors due to more effective methods of treatment that exist today.