Warts

There are numerous ways of treating warts. As some warts can also spontaneously regress by themselves, the treatment with young children is to sometimes simply wait.

Warts can be surgically removed or also treated with medication. Various factors need to be considered in the selection of the treatment. At any rate, warts in the genital area should be treated by a specialist, as should warts on children, on the eyes or on the face. One must also take into consideration whether certain basic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus exist (a wound healing disorder is often the case here).

With the surgical removal of warts, these are peeled out of the healthy tissue, e.g. with a so-called sharp spoon. Dermatologists can also remove wart tissue with a laser, perform cold therapy (cryotherapy) or cauterise the wart.

Conventional medication treatments are also available over the counter in chemists. They mostly contain the active ingredient salicylic acid. Salicylic acid results in the horny cells no longer sticking together so well and allowing themselves to be peeled off more easily. Injuries to the skin are thus avoided. However, these drugs do not eliminate the viruses that cause warts. It is therefore often the case that the warts return again after some time. Drugs that also reduce the growth of the viruses causing warts are available on prescription and must be prescribed by a doctor.