Warts
Warts are a common skin growth that occur during an infection of a strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes irregular cell growth on the skin. This irregular skin growth is largely made from a protein called keratin. When warts develop, one of the first lines of treatment is salicylic acid.
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that is derived from the bark of a willow tree. Salicylic wart treatments come as pads soaked in salicylic acid or and bottles of liquid for direct application. Salicylic acid for wart treatments varies in strength from approximately 15 to 27 percent, according to the New Zealand Dermatological Society.
Salicylic is generally safe to use and has few, mild side effects, including dryness or skin irritation or temporary stinging at the application site. Serious allergic reaction can occur, so try a small amount first on the skin to test for reaction before coating the entire wart. Salicylic acid should not be used on genital warts.
Keratin
Warts are largely made up of a protein called keratin. Salicylic acid is a keratolytic agent, meaning that it has the ability to break down keratin. During keratolysis, salicylic acid accelerates cell loss between the epidermal layer and dermis of the skin. This acceleration occurs due to salicylic acid's ability to disrupt COX-1 synthesis, which weakens the inter cellular bonds of the corneocytes in the layers of the wart. Corneocytes are keratin-filled cells of the skin. Each application breaks down the keratin in the outer layer of the wart. As that layer is broken down and sloughs off, the salicylic acid can be applied to the next layer. This continues until all the layers of the wart have been removed, and the wart is gone.
