Warts are neoplasms that can form primarily on exposed areas of the body and spread throughout the skin. A skin defect that is noticeable to others causes disgust, which complicates a person’s life. In addition to the public attitude towards the pathological growth, there are also risks of infecting other people. For these reasons, the disease should not be started.
Neoplasms are eliminated with the help of simple external medications. Salicylic acid for warts has been successfully used in therapy for many years.
More about salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is the active component of willow bark. It is effective in the fight against warts, therefore it is included in many medications aimed at eliminating benign formations. This antimicrobial and antibacterial drug is intended for external use.
When using acid against warts, the following recommendations should be followed:
- Before applying the medicine, the area of skin with the wart should be thoroughly steamed with warm water. This is necessary to achieve maximum acid action.
- All manipulations with salicylic acid are best done before bedtime.
- To treat the affected area, use a cotton swab or gauze soaked in the solution. Avoid contact of salicylic acid with healthy areas of the skin.
- After applying the product, the wart is covered with a band-aid.
Properties of matter
This compound has long been used in medicine to treat many diseases. At first, the acid was prepared from willow bark, then they learned how to synthesize it in the laboratory. Based on its effect on the body, the compound belongs to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Salicylic acid has been used for many years to treat rheumatism, but has now given way to more modern medicines. Currently, this product is used only externally. It is produced in the form of an alcohol solution of varying concentrations and as part of combined preparations. It is added to lotions, creams, cosmetic pencils and a number of medications used in dermatology.
The following diseases are treated with salicylic acid:
- psoriasis,
- ulcers and skin inflammations,
- eczema,
- acne,
- lichen.
In addition, salicylic acid allows you to easily and effectively remove skin tumors of a viral nature: papillomas, condylomas, warts.
Important! Only a dermatologist can make a correct diagnosis and say about the advisability of using a substance after conducting a histological examination. Therefore, before starting therapy at home, you must visit a doctor and undergo all tests.
Effect of salicylic acid on the skin
Treatment of warts with salicylic acid quickly allows you to achieve a positive result, and all thanks to the fact that it has a weak antiseptic, irritating and keratolytic effect. Under its influence, the keratinized areas of the skin that make up the wart soften and are easily removed. Penetrating deep into the skin, salicylic acid:
- stimulates blood circulation;
- reduces the activity of the sweat glands, resulting in reduced risks of spreading the papillomavirus;
- eliminates infectious agents that provoke the formation of warts;
- suppresses sebum production;
- cauterization of condylomas and warts provides due to the drying effect;
- blocks the growth and reproduction of tumors.
Possible complications
It is not recommended to use salicylic acid during pregnancy, as it affects the health and development of the fetus. The fetus may develop congenital defects, chronic diseases, and Reye's syndrome. Complications develop when either a large or small dose of acid enters the mother’s body.
If for some reason the acid gets inside, it can cause a burn to the mucous membranes of the internal organs.
In this situation, the following measures must be taken:
- Rinse your mouth with baking soda solution.
- Drink as much milk as possible.
- Take a few tablets of activated carbon.
- Give an enema.
- If the poisoning is severe, call an ambulance.
Indications and contraindications for the use of salicylic acid
Medicines based on salicylic acid are prescribed to combat skin problems such as:
- seborrhea;
- pimples and blackheads;
- eczema;
- papillomas;
- calluses.
This medicine also has contraindications. It is strictly forbidden to use salicylic acid to remove:
- moles;
- warts localized on the mucous membrane;
- neoplasms of unusual shape, which are localized on the scalp.
In addition, the removal of warts with salicylic acid is prohibited for patients with diabetes mellitus, peripheral artery disease, or during pregnancy.
Options for drugs containing acid
There are 3 forms of salicylic acid-based drugs used to treat warts:
- Salipod patch;
- salicylic alcohol;
- ointment.
Each method of therapy has its own advantages in the fight against human papillomavirus (HPV), but patches containing salicylic acid remain popular for use. It is used much more often than solutions and ointments.
Salipod patch
Salipod patch is the most common treatment for skin tags. In most cases, it is used to eliminate plantar warts. The active ingredients of the patch are salicylic acid and sulfur. The principle of action is to soften the top layer of the wart. When the tissues become soft, sulfur penetrates them, which leads to drying and destruction of the papilloma.
This salicylic acid-based product has an antiseptic effect, preventing recurrence of the skin disease. 1 patch can be used for 48 hours, after which it must be removed and the skin must be cleaned of dead wart cells. Salipod can cause intoxication of the body, so it is not recommended for use in pediatric patients.
Use of salicylic alcohol
Salicylic alcohol is a fairly aggressive substance that has an anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and exfoliating effect. To obtain a drying effect, it is necessary to use a solution with 5-10% acid. The product allows you to suppress the secretion of sweat and sebaceous glands, as well as eliminate inflammation. Helps remove warts of any kind.
The drug should be used with caution, avoiding contact with healthy areas of the skin. The method for removing warts with salicylic alcohol is as follows:
- Doctors advise first softening the area of skin with a growth with warm water and using pumice to remove the upper dead layers of the wart.
- The area around the neoplasm should be lubricated with a thick cream to avoid contact with alcohol.
- Using a cotton swab, the aggressive liquid is applied to the wart.
It is necessary to carry out the treatment about 3 times a day until the skin growth dries and falls off. Salicylic acid solution cannot be used to remove genital and pilar warts, papillomas on the eyelids and mucous membranes of the nose and mouth.
Removing condylomas using ointment
Another effective remedy for getting rid of warts and condylomas is salicylic ointment. Unlike alcohol, it has a gentle effect. Salicylic acid-based ointment to remove papillomas should be used after first reading the instructions. To get rid of a wart, a small layer of the remedy must be applied to the growth, then covered with a sterile napkin and secured with a bandage. Such manipulations need to be done once every 2-3 days until the skin formation disappears.
Before the procedure, the area where the wart is located must be cleaned by wiping with ethyl alcohol and steamed in a warm bath. The use of salicylic ointment is allowed for the treatment of children over 5 years of age, but the duration of treatment should not exceed 7 days.
Forms of the drug
Salicylic acid is used only for the treatment of benign neoplasms. Preparations based on it are produced in several forms:
- patch (contains 30% salicylic acid),
- ointment - used to remove plantar warts (it contains 10-60% of the main substance),
- liquid solution.
To remove growths, only 10% of the medicine is prescribed.
The maximum positive result is possible only at the beginning of the development of education.
Most often, a patch containing sulfur is used to eliminate warts. The acid softens the top layer of the wart, and the sulfur dries and destroys it.
Possible side effects
When warts appear on the body, many people resort to traditional methods of treatment, but they do not always get the desired result. Despite the many positive qualities, after using drugs containing salicylic acid, side effects may occur in the form of irritation, itching and burning. The most dangerous side effect may be a burn and subsequent scarring with the formation of a scar.
To avoid such consequences, it is important to follow the following safety rules when using salicylic-based products:
- Before starting the procedure, the area around the tumor should be well lubricated with Vaseline or fatty cream.
- The product should be applied exclusively to the wart.
- Sterile wipes are intended for single use. Dead wart cells remain infectious even after they are removed, so using wipes more than once can cause re-infection.
Treatment of warts with potatoes
One of the oldest methods of treating warts and papillomas is the use of potatoes. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did it like this:
- Peel and cut potatoes in half;
- Rub each of the warts;
- Fold the halves and tie them with thread;
- Throw it outside to rot.
It is believed that when the potatoes rot, then the warts will disappear. The same procedure is done with thread. To do this, take a regular thread and tie a knot on the wart. It is recommended to tie it during the waning moon. Next, the thread with the knot needs to be buried in the ground. When the thread rots, then warts and other similar growths will disappear.
There are a huge number of methods and remedies for the treatment of warts and papillomas. But still, you should not self-medicate, as there is a danger of a harmless neoplasm turning into a malignant one.
Advantages and disadvantages of using acid-based drugs
Using medications based on salicylic acid can get rid of warts, but first you should weigh all the positive and negative aspects. The benefits of drugs are much greater, but you still shouldn’t get carried away with them. The benefits include:
- high therapeutic effect;
- minimal pain during use;
- decreased sebum production;
- reduction of inflammation;
- destruction of bacteria;
- effective exfoliation of dead cells.
Minuses:
- long treatment period;
- not suitable for extremely dry and sensitive skin;
- not suitable for removing tumors in many areas of the body.
It is important to understand that neoplasms on the surface of the skin appear due to infection with human papillomavirus. In this regard, therapy must be comprehensive, and it can only be prescribed by the attending physician after a thorough examination has been carried out and the diagnosis has been confirmed.
