Warts are caused by viral infections and can spread from person to person and from one body part to another. They usually fall off within two years and rarely cause problems. For this reason, most pediatricians recommend leaving warts on the face untreated. When your child's wart is unsightly, uncomfortable or interferes with vision or other functioning, it may require removal. Use an over-the-counter wart remover on your child's face only when specifically told to do so by your pediatrician.
Step 1
Apply a piece of duct tape to the wart and leave it in place for six days. On day seven, remove the duct tape, soak the wart in water and scrape it very gently with an emery board. Apply a new piece of tape on day eight and repeat this cycle until the wart is gone.
Step 2
Run an emery board gently back and forth over the wart after your child showers, and then apply an over-the-counter wart remover to the wart. Be careful not to get the medicine on surrounding areas of skin, and do not use over-the-counter treatments near your child's eyes, or without permission from your child's doctor.
Step 3
Take your child to the doctor to have his wart removed by freezing. This procedure, called cryosurgery, involves freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen so that the tissue dies and drops off your child's face.
Step 4
Consider chemical removal of your child's wart. A doctor can apply a chemical solution to your child's wart in the office that destroys the wart tissue by burning it. This treatment option may cause skin staining, swelling or scarring.
Step 5
Teach your child that rubbing or scratching his wart and then touching another part of his face or body can spread the infection responsible for the wart. Instruct him to wash his hands after touching the wart to prevent spreading and reinfection during removal.
Things You'll Need
- Duct tape
- Emery board
- Over-the-counter wart remover
