Warts and all
The Doc Smitty and the treatment of a child's wart
Warts are one of the most annoying problems.
They are not caused by holding (or kissing) frogs but, instead, are caused by viruses.
The virus that causes warts is contagious, but that does not necessarily mean that if your child touches a wart they will get one.
Warts will go away on their own without treatment (Say it with me now.). It never feels like that when it’s your own child, but I promise they will. It may take 6 months to 2 years but they will go away.
There are many strategies for taking care of warts at home.
Over-the-counter (OTC) Meds
- Bath or shower
- Use an emery board to file the dead skin on the surface
- Apply the topical wart remover
- Cover the wart with a band-aid
Duct Tape
Place a strip (or ring if on the finger/toe) over the wart. This strategy may take weeks or months of coverage to work, but it does work (studies even show it)
Wart removal can be done, but I only recommend it for warts that are painful or in a location that makes activities (writing, etc) difficult.
The most common types of removal are freezing and laser therapy.
About the author
Justin Smith, M.D., is a Cook Children's pediatrician in Lewisville . View more from The Doc Smitty at his Facebook page. He attended University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School and did his pediatric training at Baylor College of Medicine. He joins Cook Children's after practicing in his hometown of Abilene for four years. He has a particular interest in development, behavior and care for children struggling with obesity. In his spare time, he enjoys playing with his 3 young children, exercising, reading and writing about parenting and pediatric health issues.
