Salicylic ointment is a medical preparation with salicylic acid, used in the treatment of various types of benign epidermal neoplasms, whether papillomas, warts, condylomas, pimples, keratomas, acrochords.
Description and composition of salicylic ointment
Salicylic ointment is a very effective medicine developed to combat tumors caused by the human papillomavirus. This is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication used only externally.
To remove papillomas and warts, salicylic acid, which is the main component of the ointment, is most often used. In solution form, it has a stronger effect on the skin. However, it also hurts her more. The ointment, in turn, demonstrates the same healing effect, but in a gentler way. Because of this, treatment takes longer.
Salicylic ointment fights the following types of skin tumors:
- warts;
- keratomas;
- thorns;
- condylomas;
- filamentous papillomas.
Furthermore, the product is prescribed for various dermatological problems, as it has a bactericidal and healing effect.
The composition of salicylic ointment includes the following components:
- Salicylic acid. The substance consists of colorless crystals that are highly soluble in ethanol, diethyl ether and other organic solvents. It has low solubility in water.
- Petrolatum. A pasty, odorless and tasteless liquid. If it undergoes complete purification, it becomes translucent; the use of partial purification gives the substance a color ranging from black to pale yellow. Insoluble in water and alcohol, but soluble in ether and chloroform. It is not subject to saponification with alkaline solution, oxidation or rancidity of the air. It serves as the basis for many ointments, including salicylic ointment against papillomas.
The concentration of salicylic acid in 100 g of ointment varies from 2 to 60 g, depending on the percentage of the drug. The concentration of petroleum jelly is 98 to 40 g per 100 g of the medicine, also depending on the acid content.
Packed in glass or plastic containers, closed with plastic lids. The most common dosage is 2% or 3% and the volume is 25 g, but it is also possible to find 1%, 5%, 10% and 60% ointments on sale, with a volume of up to 100 g.
Salicylic ointment analogues are not direct analogues, but rather drugs with similar effects on the epidermis.
The benefits of salicylic ointment for papillomas
The drug has a very active effect on the epidermis. Kills HPV, concentrated in the mutant cells of the neoplasm, helps to suppress the secretion of sebum and sweat, which reduces the likelihood of further infection of tissues by pathogens, helps to exfoliate dead cells and restore the integrity of the skin.
Salicylic ointment for papillomas has the following effects:
- Keratolytic. The medicine helps to soften, dissolve and exfoliate keratinized epidermis.
- Antiseptic. Since the acid contained in the ointment opens the structure of the neoplasm, it is necessary to disinfect the treated area. The antiseptic effect is harmful to most microorganisms.
- Local irritant. The effect on the epidermis is the ability to irritate the nerve endings in 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 pain impulses resulting from growth cauterization.
- Anti-inflammatory. The wound heals and the cause of the tumor, the human papilloma virus, is combated. 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 restoration of healthy cells and their replacement with exfoliated keratinized particles.
Salicylic ointment is not only used to treat papillomas, it successfully fights boils, acne, helps soften callous growths and eliminates any skin inflammation.
Instructions for using salicylic ointment for papillomas
To treat papillomas and vulgar warts, it is better to use a 5% ointment, to combat more serious keratinized growths, such as pimples, an ointment containing more than 10% is suitable.
Some sources claim that to obtain a stronger effect, it is worth using salicylic ointment with an active substance concentration of 60%. However, doing this alone is highly not recommended. This product is very aggressive and can cause serious damage to healthy skin.
To protect yourself from unwanted side effects, read the instructions for use of salicylic ointment for papillomas.
Algorithm for using the product to combat thorns:
- It is preferable to carry out the treatment before bed, so that the treated area is not exposed to mechanical stress during the day.
- Cook the new growth in warm, almost hot water. Scrub with a pumice stone and cut off as many dead skin cells as possible with nail scissors.
- Before removing papillomas with salicylic ointment, there is no need to additionally treat the skin around the tumor with protective agents, but excessive contact of the medicine with healthy skin should be avoided.
- Apply a thin layer of ointment to the new growth.
- Cover the treated area with tape or a bandage made up of several layers of bandage.
- In the morning, wash the treated area and scrape off any cells that died overnight with a pumice stone. Do this carefully, without strong physical pressure.
- If the growth does not disappear completely, repeat nightly treatments until the growth is completely gone.
Using salicylic ointment to remove warts and papillomas vulgaris:
- Wash the area to be treated with warm water and soap. Dry the new growth with a terrycloth 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 tape or apply a sterile dressing over it.
- After 12 hours, remove the compress, wait 10-12 hours and treat again 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 take the course again.
Contraindications and side effects of salicylic ointment
Since the drug can enter the bloodstream and affect nerve endings, there are very strict contraindications to the use of this drug.
Salicylic ointment should not be used by the following people:
- Pregnant and breastfeeding. The ban is associated with the possibility of the medicine influencing the fetus, as well as its penetration into breast milk and impact 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. Because the medicine can penetrate the blood, it can affect blood sugar levels, 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 possible penetration into the blood, salicylic ointment for papillomas may affect the blood count.
- Children under 12. The penetration of acid into the blood and the fact that children's skin is more prone to irritation and allergic reactions than that of adults may also play a role here.
It is also worth noting that the use of this medication has the same restrictions that apply to all medical products intended to combat benign neoplasms. First of all, you need to make sure that this formation is benign. Furthermore, to be able to be used at home, the growth must be low tumorigenic.
You cannot treat papillomas on mucous membranes, near the eyes or in areas with 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.
Typically, using ointment does not cause serious side effects. But non-compliance with safety rules and the use of a product with a high concentration of acid (for example, 60%) can have a detrimental effect on the epidermis.
Possible side effects of salicylic ointment:
- Burning. Using the product may cause a burning sensation and mild pain. As a rule, this effect disappears within a few minutes after applying the solution. Does not require additional therapy.
- Chemical burn. Possible due to the contact of a large amount of the medicine with 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 consult a surgeon.
- Tissue scar. This happens due to non-compliance with the rules for using this medication. With a deep chemical burn, when a large area is injured, the tissue begins to heal as it heals. In this case, it is necessary to use special absorbable 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. Furthermore, 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 to 7 treatments.
When using an ointment with a concentration of 5 to 10%, it will take about a week to combat a small wart. Spine removal can take 21 days. An old, large, dry corn may require several courses of 3 weeks each.
Real reviews of salicylic ointment for papillomas
Salicylic ointment has received a lot of criticism as it is a popular medical product. However, most of the answers concern the treatment of dermatological diseases not associated with manifestations of the human papillomavirus, but rather the fight against acne, psoriasis and seborrhea. However, there are also those that specifically refer to combating papillomas.
- "I needed to remove a papilloma from my foot. I started using patches. Unfortunately, this treatment had no effect. So, after reading the reviews about salicylic ointment for papillomas, I decided to try it. I will not hide that I was also captivated by the cheap price of this medicine. Us 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 experience any unpleasant sensations during the treatments, and the effect, although slow, it was present. So I decided to continue until I saw my wart disappear. I am satisfied with the effect, I recommend the product. "
- "We decided to buy salicylic ointment to remove common warts from the hands of a 14-year-old boy. The treatment was very simple and did not cause any discomfort to the child – there was no pain, burning or itching. It is very difficult to convince a teenager to undergo the treatment, and here it was only possible because the application took very little time and was not accompanied by pain. At night, before going to sleep, my son washed the warts with soap and then applied a thin layer of ointment. The neoplasm was covered with a regular disposable bactericidal patch. In the morning he took it off and went to school. In the evening the procedure was repeated. After 5 days, the warts softened, dried a little and fell off. There was a barely noticeable mark on my fingers, which disappeared the following week. Inspired by the experience of the child, I decided to remove the papillomas on the neck. I consider this remedy unsuitable for this area, since, unlike the hands, the skin on the neck is delicate and there was a very strong burning sensation and pain. The effect was good, but I think it's better to use a milder product. "
- "After pregnancy, new growths appeared on my body. And papillomas and warts, keratomas, pimples, just a bunch of problems caused by the human papillomavirus. When I finished breastfeeding, before returning to work after maternity leave, I decided to clean up. I started with a splint on my foot, as it was not only ugly but made walking difficult. It took me a month to treat it with salicylic ointment for papillomas. Other tumors disappeared within 2 weeks. But, unlike the foot treatment, there was discomfort - it was very hot and itchy. Fortunately, no traces remained. "
Salicylic ointment has proven to be a remedy against benign tumors caused by HPV. The undeniable advantages include the fact that applications can be done at home, the product is affordable and salicylic ointment is available in pharmacies without a prescription. If the instructions are followed exactly, its use is safe and painless. The disadvantages of this medication include the fact that its use is quite prolonged.