Warts are caused by viruses in the human papillomavirus family. They are contagious, and can be contracted by touching another wart or even a surface touched by someone with a wart. They are more common in children than adults, notes KidsHealth.org. There are four types of warts: common, flat, plantar and filiform warts. They are primarily distinguished by where on the body they appear, and treatments are, for the most part, the same for all. However, treatment for filiform warts, which grow around the mouth or eyes, require extra caution, and treatment should only be performed by a doctor.
Step 1
Apply over-the-counter salicylic acid to your child's wart if it's on the hands, feet or knees. Use daily applications for up to several weeks. Apply the treatment after your child bathes and pats his skin dry, while the skin is still damp, advises the American Academy of Family Physicians. File the wart down a bit with a pumice stone or emery board before your child bathes, starting on the second day.
Step 2
Cover your child's wart with duct tape for six days. Remove the duct tape, then soak the wart in warm water and file it down with a pumice stone or emery board. Repeat this process for up to two months, as MayoClinic.com suggests, but stop if the wart doesn't seem to be shrinking or if the wart bleeds or becomes painful.
Step 3
Take your child to the doctor or dermatologist if home remedies prove ineffective for getting rid of your child's wart. Ask about a cantharidin chemical application to kill the wart. Keep a bandage over the treated area, and you can remove it from your child after 24 hours, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Step 4
Consult with your child's doctor or dermatologist about further wart removal options if necessary. Ask about topical and oral prescription medications such as retinoids and bleomycin, and about having the wart surgically removed, frozen off with liquid nitrogen, or burned off with electrosurgery or a laser.
Tips and Warnings
- Oil-based garlic solutions and topical vitamin D3 patches may get rid of warts, though adequate evidence is lacking, according to MayoClinic.com.
- Keep your child from picking at, scratching, rubbing or otherwise touching a wart. This can lead to infections or spread of the virus and more warts, cautions KidsHealth.org. Don't let children with warts share gloves, shoes or clothing items to avoid spreading them to others, warns the Children, Youth and Women's Health Service, Kid's Health website. Open wounds on children are particularly susceptible to contraction of human papillomavirus and development of warts, so they should be kept clean and covered, advises KidsHealth.org. Make sure your children wear flip flops around public pools and in locker rooms and public showers to help prevent contraction of the human papillomavirus.
Things You'll Need
- Salicylic acid
- Pumice stone or emery board
- Duct tape
