Any warts are caused by the human papillomavirus. People with strong immunity, he practically does not bother. But with a decrease in the body's defenses, the pathogen can cause the appearance of formations on the skin.
Distinctive features
Before starting treatment, you need to figure out what plantar warts look like. Laser removal of these formations is carried out only after examination.
Externally, the plantar warts look like a circle or oval with a diameter of 1-2 cm. However, they are slightly convex, protruding only 1-2 mm above the surface of the skin. In most cases, the color of new formations is the same as that of the surface of the foot. Only a few can have a pale brown or pink hue.
Fresh warts have a smooth surface. But over time, they grow and become covered by layers of the epidermis. The skin on their surface becomes rough, rough and acquires a yellow-gray color. Sometimes black-brown dots appear on them. They occur due to thrombosis of capillaries located near the surface of the skin. In some people, there is a depression in the center of the wart that looks like a crater.
Most patients who encounter this problem have only one formation. But with weakened immunity, the virus activates. As a result, a large number of daughter warts may appear on the soles of the legs. Because of them, a mosaic pattern is formed on the foot.
Diagnosis of the disease
Before you remove the plantar wart with a laser, you need to accurately establish the diagnosis. Indeed, outwardly these formations are similar to corns. Only a dermatologist can distinguish them with the help of dermatoscopy. In some cases, the stratum corneum is scraped off and sent for PCR diagnostics. This examination makes it possible to identify the papilloma virus in the skin layers.
It is possible to suspect that a person has just a plantar wart due to the absence of a skin pattern on its surface. Also a characteristic feature of these formations are the points from the thrombosed capillaries. If they are, then the doctor, even without PCR diagnostics, can distinguish plantar warts. Laser removal is best done after an ultrasound. With the help of this study, it is possible to establish to what depth the root of the neoplasm has grown.
People with plantar warts often complain of discomfort and soreness that appear when walking.
Disposal methods
Modern medicine offers several fairly effective ways with which you can completely remove the plantar warts. Laser removal is considered one of the most advanced methods.
You can also get rid of neoplasms with the help of electrocoagulation. True, this method is only suitable for removing only fresh, not overgrown warts. BUT it is practically not used, because after it there are scars and scars.
Cryodestruction is considered the most effective and cheapest method of getting rid of emerging growths. But the effectiveness of the procedure largely depends on the experience of the doctor.
You can prevent the spread of the virus and its entry into the blood if you use the radio wave method. It allows not only to get rid of the wart, but also to cauterize the vessels, thereby preventing the risk of bleeding.
The benefits of laser therapy
You can forget about pain and discomfort when walking and prevent possible relapse of the disease if you choose the right treatment tactics. Removal of plantar warts with a laser allows the patient to recover quickly, and there is no trace of such an operation.
The advantages of this method include:
- the speed of the operation;
- quick healing;
- lack of scars and scars;
- the ability to control the depth of exposure;
- operation under local anesthesia.
After such removal, a person does not need special care. After all, the beam simultaneously cauterizes and disinfects the tissues that surrounded the plantar warts. Laser removal is performed only once. Relapses, as a rule, do not occur.
Procedure
Before deciding to remove the plantar wart with a laser, it is necessary to be examined. You can start the procedure only after confirming that you do not have malignant tumors.
Before removing the wart, the doctor introduces an anesthetic. As soon as it begins to act, you can proceed to treatment. A laser beam is directed to the problem area, which layer by layer evaporates the tissues affected by the virus. This is a non-contact method, so there is no chance of infection with any other diseases.
Many doctors recommend laser removal of plantar warts to children. After all, this is considered one of the safest and most effective methods.
After the procedure, the surface is additionally treated with an antiseptic. If necessary, a bandage is applied, which will help accelerate the healing process.
Types of laser systems
In cosmetology clinics, different equipment can be installed. An erbium, carbon dioxide, or dye laser can be used to remove warts. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.
Erbium laser acts more gently. It gradually removes the epidermal layer without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue. The possibility of a thermal burn or hyperpigmentation of the surrounding tissues is excluded due to the fact that the beam momentum is low energy. But for the treatment of plantar warts, it is not suitable.
A carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) laser is also called carbon dioxide. It burns out virus-infected tissue using infrared radiation. This method is used in cases where maximum exposure is needed. Stimulates tissue coagulation.
When exposed to stained dye laser tissue in blood vessels, the temperature rises sharply. This leads to dystrophic changes, as a result of which the blood stops flowing to the wart. The upper skin layers that are exposed begin to exfoliate and are removed.
The last two devices allow the most effective removal of plantar warts with a laser. Reviews confirm that recovery is fast.
Treating small patients
Sometimes plantar warts appear in children. They cause them pain and discomfort. Even if it seems to you that the child has nothing wrong with the feet, it is better to show it to a dermatologist.
Laser removal of plantar warts on a child can be done under local anesthesia. But the doctor should direct to this procedure. After its completion, it is advisable to apply a bandage to the treated area.
Parents should be aware that there will be a small indentation at the site of the wart, it is covered with a crust. It is important to ensure that the child does not try to remove it on their own. After all, it is so possible to introduce an infection. After a few days, the crust will dry out and fall off itself. It is better to protect yourself and the baby and seal the wound with a bactericidal patch.
Postoperative care
During the removal of warts, the laser vaporizes the cells in the problem area. The rest of the skin is not damaged. In addition, it disinfects the surface and cauterizes tissue. Thanks to this, no special care for the surface of the feet is required.
Do not constantly touch the treatment site, plantar warts after laser removal do not appear again. But to bring the infection into the wound is quite possible. At first, there will be a thin crust on the site of the growth, after which the skin will begin to peel off. No need to steam it, smear it or somehow process it.
It is also worth limiting the load on the legs. It is advisable to walk less, temporarily abandon sports. In addition, doctors advise minimizing contact with water. It is clear that it will not work to give up the soul for the entire recovery period. But the duration of water procedures should be minimized and try to less wet the place where there were plantar warts.
Laser removal, although it is the most progressive method, but after the procedure, the patient is forced to temporarily change his lifestyle. If you wet the area where the wart was, do not wipe it with a towel. Better blow dry.
Contraindications
Laser removal of plantar warts is not allowed for everyone. Experts identify a number of contraindications in which you have to abandon the procedure. So, it can not be done to people suffering from:
- diabetes mellitus;
- oncological diseases;
- epilepsy;
- immunodeficiency virus;
- connective tissue diseases.
Various colds, herpetic diseases in the acute stage, and high blood pressure are referred to time limits. The issue of removing warts to pregnant women should be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Patient opinions
If you are afraid and cannot decide in any way on the removal of plantar warts with a laser, reviews, photos of people who have already experienced this procedure will help you tune in the right way. Most patients confirm that the process itself is painless due to anesthesia.
But many complain that pain occurs already at home. Doctors usually prescribe painkillers that can help alleviate the condition. But discomfort is observed in most patients no longer than one day. Subject to compliance with the regime and limiting the load on the problematic leg, recovery is quick enough.
Many are frightened when they see a deepening in the place of the plantar warts. But it should be so. Over time, it overgrows, and the surface of the skin is leveled. No matter how scary, you should not postpone the procedure. It is better to do it and forget about the pain and inconvenience that the plantar wart causes you.