Causes and treatment of flat warts on hands and face

Flat warts are quite common, but only 4% of all those with these benign neoplasms on the skin surface turn to specialists with them.

The human papillomavirus provokes the appearance of skin growths, which is the main cause of all benign skin neoplasms.

Penetrating into the human body through scratches and microdamages of the skin, it provokes the cells of the epidermis to actively divide, resulting in elevations on the skin.

What do the causes of growths look like?

The main difference between flat warts  and papilloma and other skin growths is that they never degenerate into malignant neoplasms, have a flat outline and rise above the skin surface by no more than 5 mm.

Most often, flat warts merge into groups, and in most cases are observed on the face, back of the hands, on the lower leg.

The provocateur of these neoplasms are 3, 10, 28 and 49 strains of human papillomavirus infection. The papilloma virus, having once entered the human body, remains in it forever. Medicine does not yet know how to rid a person of this infection.

However, not all people who have this virus in their blood can observe skin neoplasms. The fact is that the virus can be in an inactive state in the human body for a long time, and awakens only if there are favorable factors for it.

The factors that awaken the virus to activity are the following:

• decrease in general immunity;
• stress, fear, severe shocks, typical for teenagers;
• chronic emotional upheaval.

Main locations

The most common locations for flat warts are the arms, legs, face, back, and neck. In some cases, as the body matures, flat warts may disappear on their own.

On the face

Most often, flat warts can be seen in the neck area, but they can also be located on the chin, eyelids, or forehead. On the face, they are small plaques that slightly rise above the skin. The diameter of neoplasms is not more than 5 mm, the color is pink or light brown, the surface is slightly glossy.

There is no skin pattern on the surface, warts on the face usually do not cause any discomfort to a person, except for aesthetic ones. When the formations are localized on the eyelids, they can impair normal vision.

On arms and legs

On the hands and feet, flat warts appear no less often than on the face or body. As a rule, they also do not cause discomfort, but sometimes they can be bothered by itching.

If you comb the growths, you can not only introduce an infection, but also provoke the spread of the virus, which will lead to the emergence of even more neoplasms.

The diameter of the papilloma on the arms and legs can be from several mm to several cm, the color does not differ from healthy epidermis. Until recently, flat warts were not diagnosed on the soles of the feet, but now such cases have become more frequent.

Flat papilloma

Symptoms of infection

Symptoms of flat warts:

• the appearance of a growth on the skin;
• itching;
• painful sensations are possible if the growth is damaged, friction or pressure.

The course of the disease:

• discoloration of warts – from flesh to brown;
• coarsening of the skin at the site of the wart;
• change in the number of growths – at first it can be single neoplasms, which subsequently merge into groups;
• possible disappearance within a few years without treatment.

As for the stages, they differ according to the number of neoplasms:

• light – 1 or several pieces;
• medium – 10-100 pieces;
• heavy – more than 100.

Why are neoplasms dangerous?

The presence of flat warts poses a threat to the surrounding people – it is a source of infection, especially with close contact.

Despite the fact that flat warts are exclusively benign in nature and do not degenerate into a malignant neoplasm, the absence of treatment can lead to the spread of the pathological process throughout the body.

In addition, warts often cause itching, and scratching can lead to infection, which will lead to the development of an inflammatory process. Inflamed multiple neoplasms on the soles of the feet can cause inability to move.

Diagnosis: what tests should be done?

A dermatologist deals with the diagnosis of a flat wart. He carefully examines the neoplasm, and may prescribe dermatoscopy.

If the wart is removed surgically, the diagnosis can be confirmed with 100% accuracy using a histological examination.

To determine the presence of papillomavirus in the blood, it is necessary to undergo PCR analysis , and patients with a large amount of papillomavirus are recommended to be screened for high carcinogenic risk HPV.

How to get rid of growths?

How best to remove flat warts should be advised by the doctor, based on their size and number. If there are many neoplasms, treatment should be approached comprehensively.

The patient is prescribed a course of antiviral drugs, immunomodulators, and surgical removal of the growth is also prescribed. If the number of warts is small, you can try to deal with them on your own.

Folk recipes

There are more folk methods for getting rid of flat warts, the most common are:

• Applying gruel from grated raw potatoes to the neoplasm.
• Applications with Kalanchoe juice.
• Vinegar compresses.
• Treatment with celandine juice. Carefully! The plant is poisonous.
• Binding to the neoplasm cut along the cloves of garlic.
• Dry ice treatment – An ice cube is wrapped in tissue and applied to the wart. It will hurt, but keep the ice for as long as the patient can tolerate. It will take several applications, after which the wart will disappear.

Pharmacy medicines

As mentioned above, drug treatment of flat warts is carried out with the help of antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs.

As for local remedies, ointments are considered the most effective:

• salicylic;
• oxolinic;
• tebferon;
• interferon.

Salicylic ointment has a keratolytic effect and improves the action of the components of other ointments, therefore, after its application, other ointments can be used.

It is important to pay attention to the fact that the concentration of salicyl in the ointment is not more than 3%, since when using an ointment with a higher percentage of salicyl, it can give impetus to the growth of flat warts.

Taking antiviral drugs

Antiviral agents for the treatment of flat warts:

• Isoprinosine .
• Cycloferon .
• Interferon.
• Panavir.
• Verrukatsid.
• Viferon.
• Ferezol.

Immunostimulating agents

Boosts immunity well

• Immunal.
• Lykopid .
• Ribomunil.
• Estifan.

It is forbidden to take any drugs without consulting a doctor, as their use may be contraindicated in case of:

• diabetes mellitus;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• urolithiasis;
• kidney failure.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapeutic methods for the treatment of flat warts are as follows:

• Laser photocoagulation – neoplasm tissues evaporate under the influence of high-intensity radiation.
• Electrocoagulation – thermal destruction of neoplasms.
• Cryotherapy – the destruction of pathological tissues occurs through low temperatures.
• Electrophoresis with zinc – keratolytic effect.
• Ultrasound – stopping the excess growth of epidermal cells.
• Alkaline baths – the horny scales of the neoplasm are softened and removed.

Removal

There is a surgical method for removing warts – with a scalpel. This method can only be used in cases where the growth is not very deep. It is performed under local anesthesia and according to medical indications.

If the procedure is performed by a qualified specialist, there can be no complications or negative consequences. The only drawback is that the wound heals for a long time. But this method is used infrequently, and is prescribed only when it is not possible to use other, more modern methods.

The nuances of the treatment of formations in children

The purpose of topical treatment of flat warts depends on the age of the child, for example:

• mountain celandine can only be used after 5 years;
• tea tree oil is shown to children after 10 years;
• Salipod patch  is not prescribed for children under 14 years of age.

As for the removal of warts in children, it is carried out in the most gentle ways – with liquid nitrogen (cryolysis) or a laser. Removal with an eclectic current or a scalpel can leave scars behind, therefore, such methods are not used in relation to children.

As for antiviral drugs and immunomodulators, only a doctor should prescribe them, taking into account not only the age of the child, but also her general state of health.

Folk methods for children are not recommended, since they mainly use poisonous plant juices and other rather aggressive components that can injure children’s skin and lead to a worsening of the situation.

Prevention and prevention of relapses

To prevent the penetration of the papillomavirus into the body, you need:

• observe hygiene;
• do not use other people’s hygiene items;
• wash your hands thoroughly;
• be sure to treat even minor damage to the skin with antiseptics.

To suppress a viral infection in the body and prevent the appearance of skin growths, you must:

• strengthen the immune system;
• avoid stress and emotional overstrain;
• get rid of bad habits;
• Healthy food.

Modern methods of treatment allow you to completely get rid of unaesthetic skin growths, and compliance with preventive measures eliminates the risk of relapse later.