Warts
For the safety of your family, this information is intended for use by North Seattle Pediatrics patients exclusively.
Definition:
- Warts are small, raised growths that have a rough surface.
- They are a common viral infection of the skin
Symptoms:
- raised, round, rough-surfaced growths on the skin
- skin colored or pink
- most common on hands, especially the fingers
- not painful unless located on sole of foot (also known as plantar warts)
Key Points:
- They can be treated at home with Wart-Removing Acid
- 17% salicylic acid
- no prescription needed
Wart Removing Acid:
- Apply once a day to top of wart
- The acid will turn the wart into dead skin
Duct tape:
- The acid will work faster if it is covered with duct tape
- Covering the warts with duct tape will irritate the warts and turn on the body’s immune system
- Cover as many warts as possible
- Try to keep warts covered all the time
- Remove tape once per day, usually before bathing. Then replace.
Remove a dead wart:
- Once or twice a week, remove the dead wart material gently with an emery board.
- Soak area first in warm water for 10 minutes.
Preventions of Spread to Other Areas of Your Childs Body:
- Discourage your child from picking at wart
- A new wart can form in 1-2 months
- Chewing or sucking on fingers can lead to similar warts on face.
- Cover wart with Band-Aid to help avoid this.
- Keep child’s fingernails cut short and wash child’s hands more often.
What to expect:
- Without treatment, warts go away in about 2 years.
- With home treatment, usually clear in up to 2-3 months.
- With medical treatment (usually freezing) most warts are often cured in a few visits.
- There are no shortcuts to treating warts
Return to School
- Your child doesn’t have to miss any childcare or school for warts.
- There is only milk risk that warts spread to others.
Call Your Doctor Back If…
- Warts develop on feet, genitals, or face
- New warts develop after 2 weeks of treatment
- Warts are still present after 12 weeks of treatment
- You think your child needs to be seen
If you have further questions or concerns, please reach out the front desk to get scheduled for an appointment or speak with a nurse. Your doctor may recommend being seen by Dermatology due to the limited availability of treatment options here in clinic.
