Hanging warts under the arm: how to remove, causes and treatment

Hanging warts under the armpit are a harmless neoplasm

Hanging warts under the arm are benign growths (growths on the skin) caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus is constantly present in the body of infected people, but is not always active: it all depends on the individual physiological characteristics of the person.

Hanging warts have different locations, preferring areas in the folds of the body. A neoplasm of this type also appears in the armpits.

Will it go away on its own or do I need treatment?

What are the best treatments for warts? As long as this problem has existed, there has been a debate between professional doctors and traditional healers. Some insist on urgent professional treatment, others say - apply celandine, it will go away on its own.

Can a wart go away on its own? Yes, there are times when armpit warts go away as suddenly as they appeared. There is nothing that cannot be explained. This happens to young people as they grow up.

Puberty and hormonal imbalance lead to disruption of the immune system. A growth appears on the skin in the form of a wart. This period is passing. Everything in the body stabilizes, the immune system is restored, and the body copes with the virus itself. Warts in children and adults disappear.

But you shouldn’t sit and wait for this to happen. After all, warts can begin to itch, grow rapidly and even turn black. You can find out what to do in such cases in our other articles by following the links.

So, there are three main directions in the treatment of warts. Let's tell you more about each.

Treatment with pharmaceuticals

There are plenty of medications provided by pharmacy chains. Sometimes, it’s really difficult to decide whether we need a cream or an ointment. Are they different in some way or are they the same thing?

Each drug contains a main active substance (the amount is very small) and a base (excipient).

If the excipient is fatty and dense without adding water, it is an ointment. If there is water in the composition of the drug, it is a cream. The active substance is the same in both cases.

ointments penetrate deep into the skin and enter the bloodstream. Have an effect on the entire body;
the cream has an effect only on the upper layers of the skin, directly on the wart itself;
tablets only as prescribed by your doctor. They have a complex effect on the entire body.

How to distinguish axillary warts?

Warts under the arms are easy to identify. This is a small nodule on a stalk hanging over the skin. The color of papillomas is different - white, red, light brown. They are thread-like in shape, reaching a length of 0.5 cm. There are also skin tumors that have a wide base and resemble the comb of a rooster. Condylomas, genital warts, sometimes appear in the armpits.

These growths are prone to rapid growth. This is facilitated by increased temperature and humidity in the armpits.

Is it possible to neglect treatment?

The development of unsightly growths under the arms is more than a “harmless” cosmetic flaw.

The development of HPV in the body, which is not countered by any treatment methods, leads to the following possible complications:

proliferation of papillomas under the arms, leading to physical discomfort;
inflammation of growths, appearance of purulent discharge;
infection due to trauma to neoplasms;
ulcers: they occur in skin diseases as a result of friction of the affected area on clothing.

Certain types of the HPV virus are called oncogenic (the 16th and 18th are among the most “evil”). They are dangerous because over the years they can cause cancer: cervical and vaginal cancer in women, penile cancer in men. In 10% of cases they become the cause of other malignant neoplasms.

If the need for HPV treatment in a pregnant woman is ignored, the virus can be transmitted to the child (vertical infection). In this case, the development of congenital pathologies in the baby is possible.

What causes warts to grow?

The human papillomavirus, which causes the formation of warts under the arms, is transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person through household contact. You can become infected by contact with a damaged area of the skin. The virus is transmitted to the baby at birth from an infected mother.

The virus can remain in the body for a long time and not manifest itself in any way. Its activity begins during periods when the human body is weakened, and then neoplasms appear. The following factors contribute to a decrease in immunity:

stress and psychological trauma;
gastrointestinal diseases;
excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
smoking and drug addiction;
metabolic disorders in the body;
presence of chronic diseases, etc.

Symptoms of the disease

If you catch the influenza virus, its symptoms will manifest itself as a headache and high fever. If you have a papilloma virus, it may not manifest itself for up to six months.

In the initial stage, the appearance of the wart itself on the armpit is not noticeable at all. It is noticed when it becomes visually noticeable.

Neither during the period of growth, nor later, the wart does not cause pain unless it is injured. If you use an underarm shaving machine, you need to be especially careful not to cut off the wart. In addition to bleeding and inflammation, this is dangerous due to the further spread of the virus.

Before starting treatment, you should find out the cause and type of wart:

And the most popular places for the “dislocation” of these growths can be:

Complications

Growths in the armpits are easily damaged, for example, during shaving. Friction from clothing also often leads to injury. The wound formed under the armpit not only hurts, but also contributes to the development of the inflammatory process.

If papillomas are not treated, they will begin to spread to the neck, face and other parts of the body. Warts can also affect internal organs.

Signs of degeneration

The lack of treatment measures can lead to the degeneration of warts into malignant neoplasms. The following symptoms may indicate this:

increase in size of growths;
blackening of papillomas;
change in the structure of the neoplasm;
bleeding, the appearance of ulcers on the surface of warts;
pain, itching.

In cases where warts are injured, it is advisable to send the material for histological examination to confirm or refute the benignity of the neoplasm.

Which doctor should I contact?

If warts appear in a child, you should first visit a pediatrician. If growths form under the armpits in adults, you should consult a dermatologist. This specialist will determine the degree of infection with the papilloma virus and identify the presence of concomitant pathologies - enlarged lymph nodes and lesions of the genitourinary system. The doctor will select a course of treatment.

A surgeon can also remove growths on the skin. Unlike a dermatologist, he will not delve into the origin of tumors.

Causes of growths

Skin defects under the arms occur under the influence of an internal factor - the development of HPV in the body.

There are three ways of its transmission:

sexual relations of partners;
infection of the baby during childbirth;
contact-household path (wearing the patient’s clothes, using his razor, toothbrush, visiting city baths, etc.).

With the contact method, infection with the virus occurs through damage to the skin, microcracks; an additional risk factor is ignoring the rules of personal hygiene.

A person infected with HPV may not know about it for a long time, because the virus does not give any external manifestations.

Papillomas under the arms appear and begin to grow if the following provoking factors occur:

hormonal imbalance (pregnancy, taking contraceptives, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes mellitus);
decreased immune defense of the body;
exacerbation of chronic diseases;
intoxication of the body caused by environmental factors or bad habits of the patient;
stressful conditions;
past viral infections (flu, colds).

Practice shows that overweight individuals and patients suffering from diabetes are most prone to the appearance of warts and papillomas.

Places under the arms are the most attractive locations for the development of benign formations. This is facilitated by the abundance of moisture in the skin folds, which favors the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. That is why papillomas appear here in multiple quantities at once.

How to remove hanging warts under the arm?

Treatment of warts under the arms should be comprehensive, including the following treatment measures:

antiviral course to reduce HPV activity;
immunomodulatory course to strengthen the body's defenses;
local treatment that eliminates skin growths.

Local treatment is carried out at home or in a clinic. This can be the use of external preparations - ointments, solutions, gels, etc. Various cosmetic procedures are also used - removal of tumors with laser, liquid nitrogen, etc. Sometimes it is necessary to resort to surgical methods for removing growths on the skin. There are many folk recipes for getting rid of papillomas under the arms.

Traditional medicine against axillary papillomas

Of the folk recipes, the most used is the version with celandine. It will take several days to get rid of warts with the help of this medicinal plant. The papilloma is lubricated with celandine juice until it falls off.

Garlic is another herb that helps get rid of skin tags. It is simple to use: you need to rub the damaged areas of the skin with a cut clove for several days, i.e., until the warts disappear.

Traditional healers recommend taking Magnesia powder 2 times a day before breakfast, lunch or dinner. A single dose is as much as will fit on the tip of a knife. The duration of treatment is about a month.

You can prepare a medicine from acetic acid and flour. The prepared preparation must be used carefully: healthy skin around the growth must be protected with an adhesive plaster, the wart must be lubricated with the mixture and secured with the same adhesive tape. The dressing is changed 2 times a day. The course of treatment is 1 week.

Tea tree essential oil will help get rid of papillomas. Papillomas are lubricated with oil for a week, after which they should disappear.

Before removing scattered warts under the arms using traditional recipes, it is better to consult a doctor.

Surgery is an effective method for removing warts

Warts in the armpit can be removed surgically in different ways:

with a surgical scalpel, cutting out the body of the tumor;
liquid nitrogen;
laser (coagulation);
using electric current.

Only a doctor can choose the most effective method of treatment. But he makes the decision together with the patient, having previously familiarized the latter with all possible methods of getting rid of papillomas.

Electrocoagulation

This method is based on the use of electric current, which is used to influence the wart.

The procedure begins with cleansing and disinfecting the skin around the wart to be removed. Then the specialist begins a session of applying electric current to the papilloma. It lasts no more than 1 minute. After the session, a crust remains. In a few days it will fall off on its own.

Not everyone can remove papilloma using this method. Electrocoagulation is contraindicated in the following cases:

persons who cannot tolerate electric current;
if the patient has pathologies associated with blood clotting disorders;
if you have a pacemaker;
those who are sick with an infectious disease;
if you are allergic to drugs used for anesthesia.

Electrocoagulation is not performed if the wart is a malignant neoplasm.

This method is effective and safe and is indicated for patients of any age.

Cryodestruction

Cryodestruction is a method of removing papillomas using liquid nitrogen. The procedure does not cause pain to the patient, but small scars remain after cauterization. The resulting crust will disappear in a few days.

Surgical methods

It is possible to get rid of a wart under the arm using a surgeon’s scalpel, but this method is used less and less. During surgery, a lot of blood is released, and there is a risk of infection for both the patient and medical staff.

Surgical removal of papilloma requires a long rehabilitation period. After the operation, scars remain.

Surgical methods also include laser removal of warts. It is indicated for those who have large growths. Lasers are also used when it is not possible to get rid of papillomas with medications.

Possibilities of conservative treatment

The most gentle way to get rid of papillomas is the use of medications. With their help you can remove growths on the skin under the arms.

Among the drugs used to get rid of papillomas, there are various gels, ointments, and creams. They have a mild effect, penetrate into the deep layers of the skin, and have a depressing effect on the virus. The most popular is Panavir gel.

Effective remedies are various solutions that are offered in pharmacies. When treated, the wart gradually begins to turn black and will disappear in a few days. You can use Verrukacid, SuperClandestine, Feresol, etc.

The drug Viferon for warts is available in the form of ointment, gel, and suppositories. The active ingredient of the drug is interferon. It suppresses viruses and stimulates the body's production of interferon.

Diagnostics

Acrochordas are diagnosed with a simple examination by a dermatologist .

To study papilloma, tests are carried out that can not only determine its type, nature, exclude malignant degeneration, but also identify which strain of the virus is the causative agent.

Carry out:

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis allows you to determine the presence of the virus and the risk of malignancy.
Histology and biopsy - excludes or confirms the presence of atypical cells and the extent of the lesion.
The Digene test is the most accurate test used to confirm other studies.