All warts are caused by the human papillomavirus. He practically does not bother people with strong immunity. But with a decrease in the body's defenses, the pathogen can cause formations on the skin.
Distinguishing Features
Before you start treatment, you need to figure out what plantar warts look like. Laser removal of these formations is carried out only after the examination.
Externally, plantar warts look like a circle or oval with a diameter of 1-2 cm. At the same time, 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 may have them in 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, the center of the wart isa depression resembling a crater.
Most patients with this problem have only one lesion. But with a weakened immune system, the virus is activated. As a result, a large number of child warts may appear on the soles of the feet. Because of them, a mosaic pattern forms on the foot.
Disease diagnosis
Before performing laser plantar wart removal, it is necessary to accurately establish the diagnosis. After all, outwardly, these formations look like 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 detect the papillomavirus in the skin layers.
It is possible to suspect that a person has a plantar wart by the absence of a skin pattern on its surface. Also a characteristic feature of these formations are points from 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 sprouted.
People with plantar warts often complain of discomfort and soreness when walking.
Methods of disposal
Modern medicine offers several fairly effective ways to completely remove 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 bloodstream if you use the radio wave method. It allows not only to get rid of the wart, but also to cauterize the blood vessels, thereby preventing the risk of bleeding.
Laser Therapy Benefits
You can forget about pain and discomfort when walking and prevent possible recurrences 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 are no traces of such an operation.
The advantages of this method include:
- the speed of the operation;
- fast healing;
- no scars and scars;
- the ability to control the depth of exposure;
- operation under local anesthesia.
After such a 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 usually do not occur.
Carrying out the procedure
Before you decide to remove the plantar wart with a laser, you need to be examined. You can start the procedure only after confirming that you do not have malignant tumors.
Before removing the wart, the doctor injects an anesthetic. As soon as it begins to act, you can begin treatment. A laser beam is directed to the problem area, which vaporizes the tissue affected by the virus in layers. This is a non-contact method, so there is no possibility of infection with any other diseases.
Many doctors recommend laser plantar wart removal for children. After all, it 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 speed up the healing process.
Types of laser machines
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 own advantages and disadvantages.
Erbium laser is more gentle. It gradually removes the epidermal layer without affecting the surrounding he althy tissue. The possibility of thermal burns or hyperpigmentation of surrounding tissues is excluded due to the fact that the beam pulse is low-energy. But it is not suitable for the treatment of plantar warts.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) laseralso called carbon dioxide. It burns virus-affected tissue using infrared radiation. This method is used in cases where maximum exposure is needed. Stimulates tissue coagulation.
When exposed to the affected tissue of the laser on dyes in the blood vessels, the temperature rises sharply. This leads to dystrophic changes, as a result of which blood stops flowing to the wart. The exposed top layers of the skin begin to flake off and are removed.
The last two devices allow the most effective removal of plantar warts with a laser. Feedback confirms recovery is fast.
Treatment of little patients
Sometimes plantar warts also appear in children. They cause them pain and discomfort. Even if it seems to you that the child has nothing to worry about on the feet, it is better to show it to a dermatologist.
Laser plantar wart removal for a child can be performed under local anesthesia. But a doctor should direct you to this procedure. After its completion, it is desirable to apply a bandage to the treated area.
Parents should know that there will be a small indentation in place of the wart, it will become covered with a crust. It is important to ensure that the child does not try to remove it on his own. After all, this can lead to infection. After a few days, the crust will dry out and fall off on its own. It is better to protect yourself and the baby and seal the wound with a bactericidal plaster.
Post-op care
During wart removal, 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 do not reappear after laser removal. But it is quite possible to bring an infection into the wound. At first, there will be a thin crust at the site of the growth, after which the skin will begin to peel off. No need to steam it, smear it or process it in any other way.
It is also worth limiting the load on the legs. It is advisable to walk less, temporarily stop playing sports. In addition, doctors advise minimizing contact with water. It is clear that it will not be possible to refuse the shower for the entire recovery period. But the duration of water procedures should be minimized and try to wet the place where the plantar warts were less.
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 will have to abandon the procedure. So, it should not be done to people suffering from:
- diabetes;
- oncological diseases;
- epilepsy;
- virusimmunodeficiency;
- connective tissue diseases.
Temporary restrictions include various colds, herpetic diseases in the acute stage, high blood pressure. The issue of removing warts for pregnant women should be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Patient opinions
If you are afraid and can’t decide to remove plantar warts with a laser, reviews, photos of people who have already experienced this procedure will help you get in the right mood. Most patients confirm that the process itself is painless due to anesthesia.
But many complain that the pain occurs already at home. Doctors will usually prescribe painkillers that can help relieve the condition a little. But discomfort is observed in most patients for no longer than one day. Subject to the regimen and limiting the load on the problem leg, recovery is quite fast.
Many are frightened when they see a depression instead of a plantar wart. But that's the way it should be. Over time, it overgrows, and the surface of the skin is leveled. No matter how scary, do not postpone the procedure. It is better to do it and forget about the pain and inconvenience that a plantar wart causes you forever.
