Warts are skin growths on hands, fingers or feet caused by the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV. Warts are not cancerous and they are usually not painful unless they are on the sole of the foot. Warts go away on their own over time, but it can take up to two years for them to go away. Measures can be taken to get rid of warts on a child's feet, and treatment can prevent warts from spreading to other parts of the body.
Step 1
Soak the child's feet in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep the water temperature comfortable--not so cool so that the child is uncomfortable and not so hot as to scald the child.
Step 2
Dry the feet with a towel and cover the warts with salicylic acid. Salicylic acid can be found in a solution or as a patch. Your child might feel irritation from the salicylic acid, but that means it is working. Salicylic acid peels away the infected skin, according to MayoClinic.com.
Step 3
Place a strip of duct tape over the warts. Let the duct tape remain on the skin for six days before removing. The duct tape helps to remove the dead skin and the wart virus from the skin, and it may help activate the autoimmune system to fight the virus.
Step 4
Rub the dead skin with a pumice stone or a nail file to remove it. Be careful not to damage the healthy skin around the warts. Do not use a nail file that has been used on nails.
Step 5
Repeat steps one through four until the warts are removed from the child's feet. It may take months of reapplications.
Things You'll Need
- Warm water
- Towel
- Salicylic acid ointment or patch
- Duct tape
- Pumice stone or nail file
