Warts

Dear Dr. Jen,

I have a wart on the sole of my foot. I am deathly scared of needles because the last time I had it checked, the doctor said I have to have it injected before it can be lasered off.  Now it has multiplied.  There are now three warts.  And I know it will keep on increasing in number if I don’t do something about it.  What other treatments can I avail of besides the laser or cautery?  I tried the solutions and it didn’t work at all!

Lexie

Dear Lexie,

Cautery, lasers and salicylic acid solutions aren’t the only options for warts.  While dropping solutions onto your warts may sound painless, the problem with this is that the solutions are usually caustic in nature.  And the normal skin surrounding the wart are inadvertently burned too, causing an even more painful reaction.

You can also opt to have it “frozen.”  This can be achieved by having your doctor spray liquid nitrogen onto the wart.  This is akin to a frostbite and is done in seconds. Depending on the depth of the wart, this may entail several sessions if the entire wart hasn’t fallen off after the first session.

Dear Dr. Jen,

I had terrible boils when I was young.  I had them on my back and it has formed into ugly scars.  The scars itch and hurt sometimes.  It has become dark brown and I think it has also gotten bigger.  I don’t think cocoa butter or creams have helped in any way.  Can you suggest a better solution?

Frances

Dear Frances,

Keloids is a scar tissue that looks firm and irregularly shaped.  It is usually caused by a cut, wound, laceration, acne or chicken pox.  Cutting it out would most likely lead to more keloid formation.

While heparin, allantoin, aloe and the other ingredients found in scar gels may work for new scars, older scars are more challenging to treat. Cocoa butter is also a good emollient and will lend moisture to your skin, but that is about all it can do.  If you have keloid scars, then you may need to step up your treatment.

A growing keloid may lead to itching, tenderness, and pain on the areas involved.  Unfortunately, the expensive gels available in the market cannot get rid of keloids.  Your options are limited to laser scar treatment or intra-lesional steroid injections.  You can ask your nearest PDS dermatologist regarding these procedures.

Dr. Tan is a diplomate of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) and is affiliated with the Perpetual Succour Hospital (PSH). Information on PDS is at www.pds.org.ph. Questions or concerns regarding the skin may be sent by text to 0932 857 7070 or emailed to [email protected]; or coursed thru The Freeman – (032) 2531276, or thru PSH – (032) 2338620 and 2325929. Inquiries will be forwarded to Dr. Tan.