Warts Removal
Warts are small benign skin growths that can appear anywhere on the body but usually develop on the hands and feet. These lumps appear in many forms and may grow one after the other or in clusters. Warts can be difficult to remove as they tend to recur even after medical treatment. The type of a wart is generally determined by its appearance and the skin area where it grows.
Warts are generally non-cancerous but may resemble some cancers. Most warts are painless, but some types, such as verrucas, may be painful. Also, these random growths can be contagious as they develop due to a strain of virus called human papillomavirus or HPV.
Causes of Warts
There are many types and causes of warts. However, most commonly, warts are caused by a skin infection of viruses belonging to the human papillomavirus family (HPV) and can impact your hands, feet, face, lips or genitals. The infection is very common and its transmission depends on several factors such as the location of the injury, the amount of virus present, the type and nature of the contact, and your immune status.
If warts were caused by the virus, then they are certainly contagious. They can appear on the skin after direct contact with existing warts on healthy skin or they can be spread by the sharing of rough surfaces like towels or clothes.
Treatment Options
Laser wart removal is a specialized treatment that must be performed in a clinical setting. This treatment involves using an intense laser beam to destroy or burn wart tissues. It is usually performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on the size of the treatment area or the number of warts.
Laser Therapy
A pulsed-dye laser is the main type of laser used to remove warts. The light heats up the blood in the tiny vessels inside the wart and destroys the vessels. Without blood, the wart dies and falls off. The laser’s heat may also attack the virus that causes the wart. Laser treatment can be good for hard-to-reach spots, like genital warts. The laser may feel like a rubber band snapping against your skin. You won’t feel much pain after the procedure is done. You should heal fully in 2-4 weeks.
Pulsed-Dye Laser
The FCO2 laser light is as effective as a sharp knife. It might be a good choice if your warts are around your fingernails or toenails and other treatments haven’t worked. First, your doctor will use the laser to cut away the top of the wart. Then they’ll make the light less focused, and it will burn away the rest. The debris it stirs may include the virus that caused your warts.
Fractional CO2
Chemical peels are one of the supplementary ways that helps to remove warts, especially if they are used in combination with one of the above-mentioned laser procedures. It peels the skin in layers, eliminating the wart over time. So, you may need more than one treatment session for the intended results. Salicylic acid also causes controlled irritation in the wart, invoking the immune system’s response to remove the virus.
Chemical Peeling
The above-mentioned list is not definitive and may differ in the treatment of your specific skin condition. Furthermore, depending on your case, the procedures can be used alone or in combination. Your doctor will select the best treatment strategy according to your individual specifications.
Dr. Lola Ali is a professional skincare therapist with over 20 years of experience helping people achieve younger, brighter, and healthier skin. If you would like to know more about your specific aesthetical skin condition and available treatment approaches, please do not hesitate and book your first free skincare check-up and consultation with her.
