Have you ever had a wart on your skin that you couldn't stand to look at? Unfortunately, you're not alone in your embarrassment and frustration.
Warty growths on the skin are common but a nuisance nonetheless. They often result from the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which is highly contagious. Although they're noncancerous and typically harmless, warts impact one's self-confidence.
At Meridian Plastic Surgery in Meridian, Mississippi, Dr. Mark S. Elliott and Dr. Lee K. Thornton are esteemed plastic surgeons who offer Levulan light therapy to permanently remove warts. They also provide various treatments to help you feel and look your best.
Warty growths on your skin are raised areas caused by the human papillomavirus. They can form on various areas of your body, including the bottoms of your feet, hands, and inside your mouth.
There are more than 100 subtypes of the HPV virus, but they don't all cause warts. Most warty growths are noncancerous and harmless, but they can be a nuisance and may be embarrassing if they're on a visible part of the skin.
Different types of warts grow in various areas of the body. The most prevalent types of warts include:
The trouble with warts is that they're challenging to eliminate, especially on your own. It often takes several home therapy attempts to see any result, but they may be short-lived. Seek treatment if your wart doesn't respond to home therapy or topical treatments.
Levulan light therapy is a multi-step procedure for warts, actinic keratosis, psoriasis, and cancerous skin cells. It's a type of photodynamic therapy that utilizes a photosensitizer medication to target abnormal cells and light to activate the medication.
There are three main steps to the entire process. The medication requires time to activate before we can apply the light. The three main steps of Levulan light therapy include:
Levulan is the brand name for aminolevulinic acid, the medication we use on warty growths. We clean off your skin around the wart with alcohol to ensure it's clean and dry. We then apply the aminolevulinic acid, allowing it to soak in and dry on the wart.
The next step of the procedure is the incubation period. Some warts require an hour of incubation for the medication to soak into the abnormal cells. Other areas may need more than an hour, sometimes overnight.
Once the incubation period is over, we clean the area and remove any excess Levulan from the skin. We provide you with protective eyeglasses to prevent injuries from the light. We can use different types of light to activate the medication, including red light, blue light, and intense pulsed light.
During the light activation, you'll sit in a comfortable chair with eye shields. The therapy takes about 15 minutes to take effect. You can then go home and resume normal activities.
You may have some sensitivity to sunlight in the treatment area for up to three days. Be careful to avoid direct sunlight and wear sunscreen to protect your skin.
Levulan light therapy is an excellent option for stubborn warts that are resistant to other treatments. Before considering this treatment, you may want to try other therapies, such as over-the-counter products, topical treatments, or medical freezing of the warts.
However, those treatments don't work for everyone and don't guarantee that the wart won't return. If other treatments haven't been successful and you're tired of dealing with warty growths, Levulan light therapy is an excellent option.
Aminolevulinic acid is a toxic agent for the abnormal cells that cause warts. When light activates the drug, it effectively kills the cells that make up the wart, reducing the appearance of the growth.
Depending on the size and location of the warts, you may require several treatments to ensure they go away and don't return. The number of sessions you need depends on how your body absorbs the medication and how many warts you have.
Results can be expected after one treatment, with further noticeable results after consecutive therapies. To learn more about Levulan light therapy, call our Meridian, Mississippi, team today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment using our convenient online scheduling tool.
