Table of contents:
- How to get rid of warts on fingers and toes
- 1. Salicylic acid
- 2. An injection of the antigen
- 3. Cryotherapy
- 4. Laser therapy
- 5. Operation
Warts that form on the fingers or toes can increase the risk of infection of the nails and surrounding tissue. This condition can even result in permanent damage to the nails. Luckily, there are a number of ways you can get rid of stubborn warts on your fingers and toes.
How to get rid of warts on fingers and toes
Periungual warts, or warts on the fingers and toes, usually appear in children and adolescents. Especially in children who like to bite their nails. Initially, the wart bumps are small, then get bigger and appear black.
Like other types of warts, periungual warts are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV). These types of warts are quite difficult to get rid of, but treatment will be more effective if started as early as possible.
Here are some ways to get rid of warts on fingers and toes:
1. Salicylic acid
Known as the most effective method of treating warts, salicylic acid works by exfoliating the infected skin layer until all the warts are gone. This compound also triggers the body's immune system to create a new layer of healthy skin cells.
Salicylic acid works slowly until the wart is gone. That's why it may take you as long as 12 weeks for treatment. This product has the side effect of irritating the skin, so consult your doctor before using it.
2. An injection of the antigen
Antigens are various foreign substances that can cause disease. When administered in safe amounts, antigens can stimulate an immune system reaction. This reaction can then get rid of the warts on the fingers and toes.
First of all, doctors need to make sure that your body is able to build up resistance to the antigen that is given. After that, the doctor will inject an antigen in the form of a mumps virus or fungus Candida in controlled quantities.
3. Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is a method of removing warts using liquid nitrogen at a temperature of minus 17.7 degrees Celsius. The cold temperature will kill the HPV as well as kill the skin tissue that forms warts.
This method has a success rate of 50-70 percent and is effective for those of you who want to get rid of warts quickly. However, you may need to get back to doing it cryotherapy 3-4 times until the wart is completely gone.
4. Laser therapy
Laser therapy is used when the previous methods have not removed the warts on the fingers and toes. Laser light will burn the wart tissue, but doctors can also add chemicals such as aminolevulinic acid to speed up the process.
This therapy can cause pain for several days. This is a natural reaction. However, see a doctor immediately if you experience signs of infection such as high fever, worsening pain, and discharge of pus from the wart marks.
5. Operation
Surgery is usually performed if the wart has caused complications, such as damage to the nails. First, the doctor will peel or cut off the wart tissue. Then, the surgical wound is covered with heat from a cautery machine.
Surgery success rates range from 65-85 percent. It is possible for warts to come back after surgery, but this is a very effective way to prevent complications from getting worse.
Periungual warts are difficult skin problems to treat. No matter what method you use to get rid of warts, these bumps can reappear on your hands and feet.
However, you can prevent warts from appearing in several ways. Among them are diligently washing hands, not biting nails, not borrowing nail clippers, and wearing gloves when they have to be exposed to water for a long time.
