Salicylic ointment is a medicinal preparation with salicylic acid, which is used for the treatment of various types of benign epidermal neoplasms, be it papillomas, warts, condylomas, spines, keratomas, acrochordas.
Description and composition of salicylic ointment
Salicylic ointment is a fairly effective drug designed to fight tumors caused by the human papillomavirus. This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for external use only.
To remove papillomas and warts, salicylic acid, which is the main component of the ointment, is most often used. In the form of a solution, it has a stronger effect on the skin. However, it also hurts her more. Ointment, in turn, shows the same healing effect, but does it more gently. This is why the treatment takes longer.
Salicylic ointment fights against the following types of skin tumors:
- warts;
- keratomes;
- spines;
- condylomas;
- filamentous papillomas.
In addition, the product is prescribed for various dermatological problems, because it acts bactericidally and heals wounds.
The composition of salicylic ointment includes the following components:
- Salicylic acid. The substance is colorless crystals that are very soluble in ethanol, diethyl ether and other organic solvents. It is slightly soluble in water.
- Petrolatum. Paste-like liquid, odorless and tasteless. If it undergoes complete purification, it becomes transparent; using partial purification, the substance acquires a color from black to pale yellow. Insoluble in water and alcohol, but soluble in ether and chloroform. It is not subject to saponification with an alkaline solution, oxidation or rancidity in air. It serves as the basis for many ointments, including salicylic ointment against papillomas.
The concentration of salicylic acid in 100 g of ointment ranges from 2 to 60 g, depending on the percentage of the drug. The concentration of vaseline is from 98 to 40 g per 100 g of the drug, also depending on the acid content.
It is packed in glass or plastic containers, closed with plastic lids. The most common dose is 2% or 3% and the volume is 25 g. However, you can also find 1%, 5%, 10% and 60% fat in volumes up to 100 g.
Analogues of salicylic ointment are not direct analogues, but drugs with a similar effect on the epidermis.
Benefits of salicylic ointment for papillomas
The drug has a very active effect on the epidermis. Kills HPV, concentrated in mutated neoplasm cells, helps suppress the secretion of sebum and sweat, which reduces the likelihood of additional tissue infection with pathogens, helps exfoliate dead cells and restore skin integrity.
Salicylic ointment for papillomas has the following effects:
- Keratolytic. The drug helps soften, dissolve and exfoliate the keratinized epidermis.
- Antiseptic. Since the acid contained in the fat opens the structure of the neoplasm, it is necessary to disinfect the treated area. The antiseptic effect is manifested by a harmful effect on most microorganisms.
- Local irritant. The effect on the epidermis is the ability to irritate the nerve endings of the skin due to the expansion of blood vessels. This improves tissue trophism and allows the drug to penetrate into the deep layers of the tumor. It also suppresses the painful impulses caused by the cauterization of the growth.
- Anti-inflammatory. It heals the wound and fights against the cause of the tumor, the human papillomavirus. This allows you to avoid irritation, suppuration, swelling and other complications that can occur when the skin is damaged.
- Regenerating. Due to the fact that salicylic acid improves blood circulation at the site of application, it promotes the rapid renewal of healthy cells and their replacement of exfoliated keratinized particles.
Salicylic ointment is used not only for the treatment of papillomas, but also successfully fights ulcers, acne, helps to soften callous growths and removes any inflammation of the skin.
Instructions for using salicylic ointment for papillomas
For the treatment of papillomas and vulgar warts, it is better to use 5% ointment, and for the suppression of more serious keratinized growths, such as spines, an ointment of more than 10% is suitable.
Some sources claim that to achieve a stronger effect, it is worth using salicylic ointment with a concentration of the active substance of 60%. However, it is highly not recommended that you do this alone. This product is very aggressive and can seriously damage healthy skin.
In order to protect yourself from unwanted side effects, be sure to read the instructions for using salicylic ointment for papillomas.
Algorithm for using anti-thorn products:
- It is better to perform the treatment before going to bed, so that the treated area is not exposed to mechanical stress during the day.
- Scald the new growth in warm, almost hot water. Scrub with pumice stone and cut off as many dead skin cells as possible with nail clippers.
- Before removing the papilloma with salicylic ointment, it is not necessary to additionally treat the skin around the tumor with protective agents, but excessive contact of the drug with healthy skin should be avoided.
- Apply a thin layer of ointment to the new growth.
- Cover the treated area with an adhesive plaster or a multi-layer bandage.
- In the morning, wash the treated area and scrape off the cells that have died overnight with pumice stone. Do it carefully, without strong physical pressure.
- If the growth has not completely disappeared, repeat the evening treatments until the tumor is completely peeled off.
Using salicylic ointment to remove vulgar warts and papillomas:
- Wash the area to be treated with warm water and soap. Dry the new growth with a terry towel.
- Treat the skin around the tumor with a protective ointment, such as zinc, petroleum jelly or any baby cream.
- According to the instructions for salicylic ointment, papillomas are carefully treated with a thin layer.
- Cover the area to be treated with adhesive tape or apply a sterile bandage over it.
- After 12 hours, remove the dressing, wait 10-12 hours and repeat the treatment if necessary.
The period of use of salicylic ointment in the treatment of papillomas should not exceed 21 days. If there is no effect, take a break for a few days and repeat the course.
Contraindications and side effects of salicylic ointment
Since the drug can enter the bloodstream and affect nerve endings, there are very strict contraindications for the use of this drug.
Salicylic ointment should not be used by the following people:
- Pregnant women and nursing mothers. The ban is related to the possibility of the medicine affecting the fetus, as well as its penetration into the mother's milk and the effect on the child during lactation.
- For allergy sufferers. This product is quite aggressive. Therefore, people prone to allergic skin reactions should avoid its use.
- For patients with diabetes. Due to the fact that the drug can penetrate into the blood, it can affect the level of sugar in the blood, which can negatively affect the health of people with diabetes.
- People with kidney failure. The drug can affect the body's urinary system. Therefore, it is better for people suffering from diseases of this system to resort to the use of less aggressive means.
- Patients with circulatory diseases. Due to the possible penetration into the blood, salicylic ointment for papillomas can affect the blood count.
- Children under 12 years old. Acid penetration into the blood and the fact that children's skin is more prone to irritation and allergic reactions than adults can also play a role here.
It is also worth noting that the use of this drug has the same restrictions that apply to all medical products aimed at combating benign neoplasms. First of all, you need to be sure that this formation is benign. Moreover, to be able to be used at home, the growth must be low tumorigenic.
You cannot treat papillomas on the mucous membrane, near the eyes or on areas of active hair. But you can use salicylic ointment for papillomas in intimate places. But it is better to use a product with a low acid concentration, taking into account the characteristics of this area.
Usually, the use of ointment does not lead to serious side effects. But non-observance of safety rules and use of products with a high concentration of acid (for example, 60%) can have a harmful effect on the epidermis.
Possible side effects of salicylic ointment:
- Burning. Use of the product may lead to a burning sensation and mild pain. As a rule, this effect disappears within a few minutes after applying the solution. It does not require additional therapy.
- Chemical burn. Possibly due to the contact of a large amount of the drug on the healthy epidermis around the neoplasm. In this case, it is necessary to rinse the treated area with plenty of warm water for 10-15 minutes and contact the surgeon.
- Scar tissue. This happens due to non-compliance with the rules for using this medicine. In a deep chemical burn, when a large area is injured, the tissue begins to scar as it heals. In that case, it is necessary to use special absorbent creams or surgical correction of the defect.
Results of using salicylic ointment for papillomas
The effectiveness of salicylic ointment in the treatment of papillomas is quite high. Moreover, the higher the concentration of salicylic acid in the product, the greater the effectiveness. However, it is directly proportional to the occurrence of side effects.
To remove a small papilloma with a product with a concentration of 60%, 1-3 treatments will be required. The thorn will disappear in 5-7 treatments.
When you use ointment in a concentration of 5-10%, it will take about a week to fight against a small wart. Spine removal can take up to 21 days. An old, large, dry callus may require several courses of 3 weeks each.
Real reviews of salicylic ointment for papillomas
Salicylic ointment has received many reviews, as it is a popular medicinal product. However, most of the answers refer to the treatment of dermatological diseases that are not related to the manifestations of the human papillomavirus, but refer to the fight against acne, psoriasis and seborrhea. However, there are also those that specifically relate to the fight against papillomas.
- "I had to remove a papilloma on my foot. I started using a patch. Unfortunately, this treatment had no effect. Then, after reading reviews about salicylic ointment for papillomas, I decided to try it. I will not hide that I was also delighted by the cheap price of this drug. The first 3 days of use there was absolutely no effect. I even decided to give up the treatment, but a friend advised me to continue. As a result, it took 2 months to remove the spine. I did not have any unpleasant sensations during the treatment, and the effect, although slow, was present. So I decided to continue until I see my wart disappear. I am satisfied with the result, I recommend the product. "
- "We decided to buy salicylic ointment to remove vulgar warts from the hands of a 14-year-old boy. The treatment was very simple and did not cause discomfort to the child - there was no pain, burning or itching. It is very difficult to persuade a teenager to undergo treatment, and hereit was possible to do it only because the application took very little time and was not accompanied by pain. My son washed the warts with soap in the evening before going to bed, after which he applied a thin layer of ointment. The neoplasm was covered with an ordinary disposable bactericidal patch. Until morninghe took it off and went to school. In the evening, the procedure was repeated. After 5 days, the warts softened, then dried a little and fell off. A barely noticeable mark remained on my fingers, which disappeared during the next week. Inspired by the child's experience, I decided toremove papillomas from the neck. I consider this remedy unsuitable for this area, because, unlike the hands, the skin on the neck is sensitive and feels a lot of burning and pain. The effect was good, but I think it is better to use a gentler product. "
- "After pregnancy, new growths appeared on my body. And papillomas, and warts, keratomas, spines, just a bunch of troubles caused by human papillomavirus. When I finished breastfeeding, before I went back to work after maternity leave, I decidedto get myself in order. I started with a splint on my foot, because it was not only ugly, but also made it difficult to walk. It took me a month to treat it with salicylic ointment for papillomas. The other tumors disappeared within 2 weeks. Butunlike the foot treatment, there was discomfort – it was quite hot and itchy. Fortunately, there were no marks. "
Salicylic ointment has been shown to be a cure against benign tumors caused by HPV. Undisputed advantages include the fact that applications can be carried out at home, the product is affordable, and salicylic ointment is available in pharmacies without a prescription. If you strictly follow the instructions, its use is safe and painless. The disadvantages of this drug include the fact that its use is quite long.