- Why do they appear?
- What do warts on the hand look like?
- Treatment options
- Medicines
- Wart removal
- Folk remedies
- Prevention
Warts on the hand are formations of a viral nature that are not dangerous, but can be easily transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person in everyday life. As a rule, growths form on the palms and fingers and practically do not differ in color from healthy skin. They range in size from 1 to 10 mm and usually do not cause physical discomfort to the patient.
Why do warts appear on the hands?
Warts on the hand are a consequence of the activity of papillomavirus, a highly contagious pathogen, in the human body. According to various sources, up to 90% of the world's population is infected with HPV. This virus is most often transmitted through sexual contact or household contact.
As for warts on the hands, in this case we are usually talking about contact transmission of a viral agent from a sick person to a healthy person due to handshakes, the use of shared personal hygiene items, through public door handles, railings, handrails, etc. It is especially easy for the pathogen to penetrate into a healthy body if there are microtraumas on the skin - cuts, abrasions, scratches.
However, the presence of a virus in the blood does not always mean that a person will necessarily develop warts on the hands. In order for pathological neoplasms to appear on the body, a confluence of various factors is necessary.
Among the most common:
- Reduced general protective functions of the body;
- Frequent colds;
- The presence of severe chronic illnesses;
- Severe hypothermia of the body;
- Nervous shock, stress, poor sleep;
- Unbalanced diet;
- Having bad habits;
- Hormonal imbalances.
Most often, warts affect the inside of the palms, fingers and the area between them. This happens because these areas are most often injured and through the damage the virus easily penetrates the human skin and circulatory system.
What do warts on the hand look like?
In the photo there are warts on the hands
There are many different strains of the papilloma virus. Warts on the hand are caused by a number of pathogens with low oncogenicity. The following neoplasms may appear here:
- Vulgar (simple) warts. They have a diameter ranging from 3 to 10 mm. Painless dense nodes on the skin of a round or oval shape. Most often they blend in color with the healthy epidermis and can acquire a beige, brown, or yellow tint. Usually single growths form, but small daughter formations may appear near them over time. After the elimination of a large neoplasm, small ones, as a rule, disappear on their own.
- Flat (juvenile) warts. Most often the skin of young people is affected during adolescence, when hormonal levels fluctuate. They may go away on their own after hormones stabilize. They are round formations with a smooth surface, slightly protruding above the epidermis. Sometimes several growths merge into one large one and form a mosaic wart.
Quite often, warts on the hands disappear on their own. This happens especially often with youthful growths. In addition, neoplasms are usually painless, and therefore the only discomfort they cause to the patient is aesthetic. However, it should also be remembered that warts pose a potential danger to surrounding healthy people, since they contain a very high concentration of the virus. Any direct contact with them may carry the risk of contracting HPV.
Also, untimely treatment of these tumors in some cases is fraught with so-called self-infection, when the virus spreads to neighboring healthy areas of the epidermis and the warts actively grow. The risk of such an outcome is more likely if a person’s immunity is reduced for some reason.
In addition, large warts can become injured, bleed, and become inflamed. This is a potential gateway for concomitant infection. And in some cases, injured tumors can become malignant. Therefore, the disease should not be left to chance and it is imperative to consult a specialist if warts are found on the hands.
It is especially important to consult a doctor in a timely manner if the tumor begins to bleed, become inflamed, or develop suppuration, itching, burning, or pain. Also a reason for urgent medical consultation is the active growth of warts and the destruction of new areas of the body.- See what warts on your hands look like
Methods for treating warts on the hands
It is currently impossible to completely get rid of papillomavirus. All HPV treatment methods are aimed at eliminating symptoms and suppressing the activity of the pathogen. Therefore, the optimal treatment regimen for warts on the hands is a combination of destruction of growths and drug treatment. It is also sometimes useful to use traditional medicine to strengthen the immune system.
Treatment of warts on the hands with medications
In the photo are preparations for warts on the hands
The first step if you suspect warts is to consult a doctor, who will determine the type of growths, the virus that caused them, and prescribe a suitable treatment regimen. Currently, there are many different potent chemical drugs that can be used to remove warts on the hands. Other means are designed to strengthen a person’s immune response and are necessary to prevent relapses after removal of tumors.
Let's look at the most common groups of medications used in the treatment of warts on the hands:
- Keratolytic. These are products for external use that literally destroy keratin, the structural protein that makes up human skin. Thus, drugs from this group soften the epidermis, reject the stratum corneum, dissolve it and have a therapeutic effect on the wart on the hand. Keratolytics destroy the structure of the tumor at the cellular level. They usually contain concentrated acids or alkalis. The following products have proven themselves well: Salipod (from 70 rubles), Collomak (from 450 rubles) and their analogs Duofilm (from 1,500 rubles) and Superchistotel (from 50 rubles).
- Necrotizing. They cause tissue necrosis and are well suited for cauterizing pathological growths on the epidermis. They are capable of penetrating deep into the skin, so they must be used with caution and strictly according to the instructions or recommendation of a doctor, so as not to get severe chemical burns. This group of drugs for warts on the hands includes Verrukacid (from 200 rubles), Feresol (from 250 rubles) and analogues - lapis pencil (about 150 rubles), Solcoderm (from 430 rubles).
- Freezing. The action of products from this category is based on cryotherapy - exposure to cold. The growth is frozen, and the protein bonds in the epidermis are destroyed. After some time, the treated area becomes necrotic and peels off. The drug Cryopharma (from 800 rubles) and the analogue Wartner Cryo (from 2800 rubles) are widely popular.
- Immunomodulatory. The connection between warts on the hands and immunity has long been proven. Therefore, if these growths appear on the skin, then it makes sense to take a course of immunomodulatory drugs to strengthen the body’s protective functions. Then the body will have additional strength to suppress the activity of the virus. The following products received good recommendations from experts: Imiquimod (from 3,500 rubles), Kagocel (from 250 rubles) and the analogue Cycloferon (from 200 rubles).
- Antiviral. If you don’t know how to get rid of warts on your hands, then you should pay attention to drugs from the antiviral group. They are able to suppress the activity of the papillomavirus, so that new warts will not appear, and existing ones will die off. These drugs are presented both in tablet form and in the form of ointments and creams for topical application. Popular in the treatment of HPV are: Panavir (from 130 rubles), Isoprinosine (from 650 rubles) and analogues Viferon (from 180 rubles), oxolinic ointment (from 60 rubles).
It should be remembered that all topical products should be applied only to the affected area of the skin. Healthy tissues should be covered with a napkin or lubricated with a rich cream. Also, never exceed the dosage recommended by your doctor to avoid complications.
Removal of warts on the hands using instrumental methods
To remove warts on the hands, various instrumental methods of destruction of tumors are often prescribed. The choice of method depends on the individual characteristics of the patient and his financial capabilities.
Let's consider the most popular methods:
- Cryoremoval. Most often used to remove warts on the hands. The popularity of this technique is explained by its relative cheapness, availability in almost any clinic and the possibility of a targeted effect on the growth. This uses liquid nitrogen and an applicator. A significant disadvantage of cryotherapy is the inability to control the depth of tissue damage. Therefore, liquid nitrogen is rarely used on visible areas of the body. The cost of removing warts with liquid nitrogen is 450-1100 rubles in Russia and 180-430 hryvnia in Ukraine. See also real patient reviews about cryodestruction of papillomas.
- Laser removal. Laser beams evaporate the liquid from the affected cells, so the wart on the hand is destroyed from the inside - quickly and almost painlessly. Regeneration is quite fast, and traces after such a procedure remain extremely rarely. The cost of laser destruction of a tumor is 750-2200 rubles in Russia and 280-700 hryvnia in Ukraine.
- Electrocoagulation. Electric current burns pathological tissue from the surface of the skin and is capable of eliminating warts that lie at a shallow depth. The procedure is also minimally invasive, but quite painful. Sometimes scars may remain after the growths are removed. The price of electrocoagulation of warts on the hands is 670-1150 rubles in Russia and 230-470 hryvnia in Ukraine.
- Radio wave removal. This is one of the most modern and expensive methods of destructive effects on tumors. Allows the specialist to focus directly on the wart and not touch healthy neighboring areas. There are practically no traces left after such an operation. The cost of radiosurgical treatment of warts on the hands is 1800-2700 rubles in Russia and 470-1200 hryvnia in Ukraine.
- Surgical removal. In modern clinics, this method is practically not used, since it is traumatic and can cause bleeding and scar formation. Sometimes a scalpel is used when it is necessary to remove a particularly large formation from the skin. The cost of surgical removal of a wart from the hand is 550-850 rubles in Russia and 190-280 hryvnia in Ukraine.
Read also, what is better to remove papillomas - radio wave method or laser?
Folk remedies for treating warts on the hand
Over the long centuries of man's struggle with warts, various methods of home treatment for these unpleasant tumors have been invented. Not all of them are safe, and therefore it is not recommended to use them without first consulting a doctor.
However, some methods have a right to exist. Let's look at them:
- If you are thinking about how to get rid of a wart on your hand quickly and practically free of charge, use the usual pumice. The latter is a natural abrasive that can easily remove the top layer of the horny covering of a wart. Pre-hold the brush in a warm bath for 10-15 minutes. After this, carefully rub the growth with a pumice stone to erase the top layer of the epidermis. It is advisable to treat the formation with an additional antiviral ointment.
- Warts are destroyed by various acids. In addition, acids are harmful to HPV. Many of these products can be found in everyday life. For example, try treating a build-up apple cider vinegar. To do this, soak a cotton swab in the solution and lubricate the wart every day at night. For additional effect, you can cover the growth with a gauze bandage. Usually within a week the formation begins to darken and die.
- Part garlic includes many antiviral substances that are also harmful to papillomavirus. Therefore, it is useful to treat warts on the hands with garlic extract or pure fresh juice of the plant. This procedure should be carried out several times a day for several days until you notice traces of the death of the tumor.
- Thuja oil also contains many antiviral components. It can also stimulate local immunity to fight the virus. It can be purchased at a pharmacy and applied to the growth with a cotton swab. After lubrication, cover the treatment area with a gauze bandage for several hours. Typically, such procedures need to be carried out within 14 days. Tea tree oil has a similar effect. It can be applied in the same way as thuja.
- See also the results of using potatoes for papillomas
Prevention of warts on the hands
The main rule for preventing the appearance of warts on the hands is maintaining personal hygiene. Never touch other people's tumors. If these are warts, then they are very contagious.
Also remember the importance of disinfecting manicure tools. Be sure to control this issue when going to a nail salon. If the virus is introduced in the area of the nail plate, then warts will not take long to appear in this area. After visiting public places and public transport, be sure to wash your hands with soap.
Many people have seen photos of warts on the hands on the Internet, but few people associate these growths with an unhealthy lifestyle - poor diet, bad habits and weak immunity. Maintain a healthy lifestyle and strengthen your immune system with regular exercise and a balanced diet. This will significantly reduce the risk of warts forming on the hands and other organs.
How to get rid of warts on the hand - watch the video:
Warts often affect the palms and fingers in childhood, but they often become a clear cosmetic defect in adults. Treatment for these growths is relatively simple and painless. If you undergo a course of complex therapy, the warts will go away without a trace.
- Related article: Why does a wart on your hand itch?