Does the treatment hurt?

No. Apart from a mild sensation of warmth the irradiation is painless, and it leaves no scars. Removing the previously softened callus is painless as well. That is why the method is suitable for children.

How many sessions will I need?

As a rule 6 to 10 sessions at weekly intervals. How many it will be in your case depends on the size and depth of the findings.

What happens before the first irradiation?

The warts are first covered with keratolytic plasters for 2 to 7 days, depending on the site and the thickness of the callus. Immediately before the irradiation we remove the softened horny layers.

Does health insurance cover the costs?

Treating warts with wIRA is not yet covered by the German statutory health insurers. It is invoiced under the German scale of medical fees (GOÄ) as an IGeL service. Private insurers as a rule cover the costs in full. The total cost depends on how extensive the warts are; we discuss it with you beforehand.

wIRA therapy for warts

Stubborn warts on the hands and feet can be treated with water-filtered infrared A light (wIRA). Apart from a mild sensation of warmth the irradiation is painless, which makes it suitable for children as well.

Overview

Common warts (verrucae vulgares) are frequent infections with human papillomaviruses (HPV). They appear above all on the hands and feet. Pain, bleeding, itching and burning can be a burden, and so can the disfiguring character the warts sometimes have.

Around 30 forms of treatment are described in the literature, and yet the results of the individual methods are often unsatisfactory. High and reliable cure rates are hard to achieve. Some methods are painful, others have pronounced side effects and after-effects or leave an unsatisfactory cosmetic result.

Dermatologists at the university dermatology clinic in Jena have developed a painless method that leaves no scars and have documented its effectiveness in studies: treatment with water-filtered infrared A light, wIRA for short. It uses near, short-wave infrared A light in the range of 700 to 1400 nm. A patented liquid filter in the irradiation device filters out the infrared B and C radiation that damages the skin, so that only the deeply acting infrared A light with a peak at 780 nm is emitted [PLATZHALTER: Gerätemodell bestätigen].

Areas of application

Warts that keep coming back (verrucae vulgares)
Warts that have responded poorly to other forms of treatment
Warts on the hands and feet
Treatment of warts in children, for whom painful methods are little suited

Procedure

Examination and preparation
We first assess the number, size and location of the warts. Before the irradiation begins, they are covered with keratolytic plasters that soften the callus, for 2 to 7 days depending on the site and how thick the callus is.
Removing the softened callus
Immediately before the irradiation the softened horny layers are removed. This is painless.
Irradiation with water-filtered infrared A light
The affected parts of the body are then irradiated for 20 to 30 minutes. All you feel during this is a mild sensation of warmth.
Weekly repetition
The irradiation cycles should be repeated weekly. As a rule 6 to 10 sessions are needed; the exact number depends on the size and depth of the findings.

What to expect

A session lasts 20 to 30 minutes, and the irradiation is repeated weekly.
As a rule 6 to 10 sessions are needed, depending on the size and depth of the warts.
Apart from a mild sensation of warmth the treatment is entirely painless and leaves no scars. It is therefore suitable for children as well.
In severe, treatment-resistant cases a topical treatment can be added in the intervals between irradiations, for example with solutions containing nitric acid.

Risks & notes

Warts are stubborn. Among the roughly 30 forms of treatment described, the results are often unsatisfactory and high, reliable cure rates are hard to achieve. Success therefore cannot be promised for wIRA therapy either.
A mild sensation of warmth is noticeable during the irradiation. The surface of the skin is not overheated.
The treatment calls for patience: it runs over several weekly sessions.
Treating warts with wIRA is not yet covered by the German statutory health insurers. It cannot be billed via the insurance card and is invoiced under the official German scale of medical fees (GOÄ) as an IGeL service (individual health service). Private insurers as a rule cover the costs in full; the total cost depends on how extensive the warts are.

How wIRA works

The water-filtered, near infrared A light reaches into the depth without overheating the surface of the skin:

It warms the tissue around the wart and thereby improves the blood supply.
With the better blood supply, more specific defence cells (immunocompetent T lymphocytes) move in, which strengthens the body's own immune defence locally.
There are also indications that wIRA promotes healing directly, by helping the tissue cope better with oxidative stress.

Frequently asked questions

Does the treatment hurt?: No. Apart from a mild sensation of warmth the irradiation is painless, and it leaves no scars. Removing the previously softened callus is painless as well. That is why the method is suitable for children.
How many sessions will I need?: As a rule 6 to 10 sessions at weekly intervals. How many it will be in your case depends on the size and depth of the findings.
What happens before the first irradiation?: The warts are first covered with keratolytic plasters for 2 to 7 days, depending on the site and the thickness of the callus. Immediately before the irradiation we remove the softened horny layers.
Does health insurance cover the costs?: Treating warts with wIRA is not yet covered by the German statutory health insurers. It is invoiced under the German scale of medical fees (GOÄ) as an IGeL service. Private insurers as a rule cover the costs in full. The total cost depends on how extensive the warts are; we discuss it with you beforehand.