What does a wart on the lip look like? photo

Why do warts appear on lips?

Growths on the mucous membranes and various skin tumors form on any part of the body; they appear on the skin and red border of the lips, around the mouth. The difference between warts and papillomas from similar formations lies in their viral origin.

Uncontrolled proliferation of epithelial cells begins with the participation of one or more genotypes of papillomaviruses. The size of the resulting growths varies from 1 to 10 mm.

Types of warts on the skin and red border of the lips, inner surface (mucous membrane):

• Flat. Small round plaques with an almost smooth surface, painted in shades of pink, flesh-colored or brownish (photo 1 below).
• Ordinary. New growths have a dense consistency with a hard, rough surface, whitish, yellowish or flesh-colored (photo 2 below).
• Hanging. Elongated papillae, threads of pinkish or skin tone, located on a thin base.
• Genital warts. The growths are elongated in the form of a cock's comb. Tumors are the most dangerous in terms of oncology.

Reasons for appearance

There are many factors that contribute to the appearance of warts on the lips. The main ones are:

• reduction of protective resistance to external factors of a weakened organism;
• stressful situations;
• chronic fatigue syndrome;
• problems in the function of the endocrine system.

As soon as conditions favorable for the virus appear in the body, the affected cells begin to actively multiply, which can lead to the formation of growths on the body and lips. This should be cause for concern.

It is important not only to remove the wart, but also to undergo treatment for the disease that is the root cause of the tumors. Otherwise, it will be difficult to avoid recurrences.

New growths on the skin that appear as a result of infection with the human papillomavirus (warts) are familiar to many.

Both a vulgar wart on the hand and a plantar wart cause concern, but if a neoplasm appears on the face, and even more so on the lips, there is no need to postpone a visit to the dermatologist.

Papillomas appear when a virus enters the human body. However, it may not appear immediately, revealing itself only when immunity decreases.

If you notice a nodule or a flat spot on your lip that is different in color from the surrounding skin, it is better not to try to deal with the growth on your own. The appearance of a wart does not indicate that the infection occurred 2-3 days ago, but that the immune system has suffered a serious failure.

This is interesting: How to distinguish moles and warts, removal, papillomas, types, photos, which doctor treats

A person will probably remember that he had the following symptoms:

• microtraumas (cracks, “jams”) at the site of the appearance of the tumor;
• itching, burning, subtle bleeding, discomfort when eating or drinking;
• colds, viral infections, stress before the appearance of a tumor.

It is through skin damaged by injury or disease such as herpes that the virus enters the human body and remains in the layers of the epidermis to begin rapid development at the slightest weakening of the body or impaired immunity.

You can become infected by kissing a sick person, touching your lips with poorly washed hands, drinking from a carelessly washed glass, or using someone else's hygiene products, cosmetics, or creams. Infection can also be caused by unprotected oral sex with a partner infected with the virus.

Instant contact or touching the wound with infected hands is sufficient for infection. Therefore, strict adherence to hygiene rules after visiting public places, traveling on the subway, buses and trams, hospitals, schools, places with large crowds of people is the most important condition for maintaining health.

Types and clinical manifestations of neoplasms

Neoplasms differ in appearance, so their diagnosis is rarely difficult.

Vulgar warts look like a skin nodule with an uneven, wrinkled surface. The size of a common wart can vary, sometimes the formations grow and reach 1-1.5 cm in diameter. The color of a wart vulgaris on the lip may change over time. If immediately after formation the nodule does not differ in appearance from the skin of the lips, then after some time it may become yellowish.

Flat warts look different. This is a small (2-5 mm) formation with a flat, smooth top that protrudes slightly above the surface of the skin. The shape of the formations is usually round, the color does not differ from the color of the lips.

Hanging warts at the first stage look like bumps, but over time they transform into an oblong “bag” on a stalk. The length of the formation is 5-10 mm. The color of the formation can be flesh or brown.

Genital warts, as a rule, form on the mucous membrane of the lips. Externally, these formations are similar to cauliflower inflorescences - with a narrow base and a wide, grooved top. Unlike other types of warts, condylomas cause itching and irritation of the skin.

This is interesting: Is it possible to remove warts with a laser for children?

Warts that appear on the lips are not only a defect in appearance, but can also cause considerable inconvenience. The formations may interfere with eating and speaking. In addition, the already thin skin of the lips near the wart becomes especially sensitive, and painful cracks may appear on it. As a complication, an inflammatory process of the lip border can begin - actinic cheilitis.

Among the neoplasms that appear on the lips, the most common are:

• flat warts, almost indistinguishable from skin color, up to 5 mm in size. slightly protruding above the surface, without wrinkles characteristic of surrounding tissues;
• common warts resembling a tubercle with a nodular seal of yellow color, the size of which can be up to 1 cm;
• growths of flesh-colored condylomas, pointed, soft, similar to scallops, their accumulations often spread throughout the mucous membranes, sizes from 3 to 7 mm;
• A filamentous wart can also affect the lips: a long, thin flesh-colored formation can easily be damaged by careless movement, which contributes to the further growth of the wart and the appearance of new ones;
• A hanging wart, a dense brown neoplasm whose base resembles a stalk, can reach large sizes.

These and some other warts grow, deform the lips, and cause both physical and psychological suffering.

When should you see a doctor? If you notice a tumor, you should immediately contact a doctor.

Many beauty salons provide wart removal services, but no professional will do this if a wart has grown on the lip. The risk of causing irreparable harm is too great, because very often squamous cell carcinoma manifests itself in this way, “growing” in the jaw bone, which is easily spread throughout the body by blood, giving rise to new lesions.

Condylomas and papillomas react aggressively to any external influences, starting to grow, degenerating into malignant, cancerous tumors of the lips and mucous membranes.

Examination, dermatoscopy and tissue biopsy are mandatory to exclude any types of cancer. The first doctor you need to contact is a dermatologist who specializes in the treatment of skin diseases. If there are suspicious symptoms, he will refer the patient for all the necessary tests, as well as to an oncologist. Only after excluding oncology can we talk about treating warts on the face.

This is interesting: Wart scientific name

Treatment

Warts on the lips are perhaps the only type of wart that doctors can recommend treating with therapeutic methods.

If the formation is small and has appeared recently, the patient may be prescribed the following:

• ointments with antiviral effect. For example, Oxolinic ointment;
• ointments with an immunostimulating effect. For example, Viferon.

But products that have a cauterizing effect (such as Solcoderm, Ferezol, etc.) are not recommended for the treatment of warts located on the lips. Since these products cause a chemical burn, and this is quite painful and not always justified.

Additionally, the patient may be prescribed restoratives and vitamins. The goal of this therapy is to enhance natural defenses.

To radically remove a wart on the lip, the following treatment methods may be offered:

1. Cryodestruction is the destruction of a formation by cold - liquid nitrogen or dry ice.
2. Electrocoagulation – burning out formations with high-frequency currents.
3. Laser treatment – ​​removal of warts with a laser beam.
4. Surgical excision is a traditional operation performed with a scalpel.

Treatment with traditional methods

The most effective and efficient remedy against any warts is celandine juice. You need to tear off a branch of the plant and lubricate the formation on the lip with the orange juice that appears on the scrap. The procedure must be done several times a day.

You can use dandelion juice in the same way. But this method is recommended to be used only for the treatment of recently appeared warts.

In winter, red rowan fruits can be used to treat warts on the lips. You need to grind several berries into a paste, apply it to the formation, cover with film and secure the mini-compress with a band-aid. Keep for at least three hours, perform the procedure daily.

Garlic is an effective antiviral agent. To treat warts on the lip, it is better not to use fresh juice, as it is quite caustic. It is better to prepare an infusion by pouring three large chopped cloves of garlic with a quarter cup of boiling water. After a few hours, the infusion will need to be strained. Moisten the formation with infusion and allow the liquid to dry. This procedure should be repeated many times.

Diagnostic methods

Many people believe that a wart is a cosmetic defect and not a disease, but this opinion is wrong. Why? You will get the answer to this question here.

A wart on the lip requires careful examination and comprehensive diagnosis. Therefore, when a tumor appears on the lip, you should not go to a beauty salon, but to a medical institution that treats dermatological diseases.

Only after special tests can the optimal method of treatment or removal of the formation be chosen.

As a rule, when performing an examination, dermatoscopy is performed, that is, a thorough examination of the tumor using a special microscope. If necessary, a biopsy may be prescribed.

Only after making sure that the wart is indeed a benign formation will the specialist be able to select the most appropriate treatment method. Otherwise, the patient is sent for a consultation with an oncologist, where he will be prescribed specific treatment.

Danger of disease

How dangerous is a wart on the lip? Any warts on the face of children and adults, and even more so on the lips, are dangerous.

This is not just a cosmetic defect that you can put up with : too thin skin and the proximity of blood vessels, constant contact with the sun's rays greatly increase the risk of some benign tumors degenerating into malignant ones that easily grow into the layers of the epidermis.

Due to frequent trauma to tumors, the risk of infection and the onset of an inflammatory process, which can spread to the oral cavity, larynx and deeper, also increases.

One or more new ones may appear next to one wart , disfiguring the face.

If you start treating warts at home immediately after the first nodule appears, you can avoid many problems.