Laser Treatment for Warts

Find Clinics offering Wart Removal in London & UK »

Laser treatments have become a staple in the cosmetic world because of the versatility and effectiveness of what the technique can achieve. Lasers are now used quite commonly for hair removal, thread vein removal, and skin rejuvenation. Laser technology has also given rise to a number of similar procedures that harbour slight improvements and changes over the traditional method, giving people more options than ever before. Lasers are also used for wart treatments, and this article discusses how it works and where it can be effective.

What is laser treatment?

A laser is essentially a very focussed beam of light, light energy is actually quite potent when concentrated in this manner. There are actually many different types of laser, and the two used most often for wart removal are pulse dye lasers and carbon dioxide lasers.

The main difference between these two distinct types of laser is that one uses carbon dioxide and the other uses an organic dye in its internal workings. What this basically means is that each laser works slightly differently and has its own advantages and disadvantages.

How does laser therapy clear up warts?

A pulse dye laser has a unique mode of action that doesn’t actually target the virus infected tissue of a wart, but instead aims at the blood vessels sustaining the wart. These vessels bring in the nutrients and oxygen which maintains human cells, and by targeting these vessels the wart can be killed. A pulse dye laser is much more specific in that it targets blood cells, whereas a carbon dioxide laser actually targets water molecules which are also present in healthy cells, making it more likely to cause scarring and pain. The pulse dye technique is generally much more effective and involve minimal scarring.

Is laser therapy suitable for my warts?

Laser treatments, and more particularly the pulse dye option, is a good choice for a number of different warts on your hands, feet, and even your face. The method is not used for genital warts, but is remarkably flexible in that it can be used for most other types. A consultation with either your GP or a laser treatment provider will determine the specifics of how well suited your warts are to laser therapy.

Caveats of laser therapy

Despite its being quite effective in a number of different scenarios, laser treatment for warts does have some caveats worth bearing in mind. Firstly there is the risk of scarring which, as mentioned above, is significant with carbon dioxide lasers. Secondly laser treatments are substantially more expensive than other treatment options like cryotherapy (freezing of warts) and electrodessication (the use of an electric current to remove a wart). The procedure can also be painful, although this is more true of carbon dioxide lasers, and require the use of a local anaesthetic.

While actual therapy sessions are quite short, only lasting about 10 to 30 minutes depending on the particulars of the case in question, there is a chance of many repeat sessions being needed before warts can be completely removed. This can be inconvenient for some people who will need to take time to attend regular sessions, and because of the increase in cost every treatment introduces.

« Keratolysis for Warts Cryosurgery (Cryotherapy) for Warts »