Wart Removal in Children

Nobody likes dealing with warts. While they are medically harmless, warts can be a real nuisance for you or your child. Fortunately, removing warts can be an easy process. By visiting our location for Massapequa pediatrics, our team at Pediatric Associates of Plainview can help treat and remove your child’s warts before you know it!

Causes and Types of Warts

Warts are often characterized as non-cancerous skin growths that result from the human papillomavirus, or HPV. Warts may be smooth or rough, and they occur when the virus invades the skin through either a cut or scratch. The different types of warts that may impact your child include:

Common warts – Warts located on fingers or the back of hands.
Flat warts – Warts typically located on the face and are smaller and smoother than other warts.
Filiform warts – Warts located on the nose or chin and stick straight out.
Palmer warts – Warts located on the palm.
Plantar warts – Warts located on feet, specifically the soles.

Risk Factors and Prevention

Children with a compromised immune system are more susceptible to warts. The same applies to children who bite their nails and pick at hangnails, as this often can create tiny cuts on the skin that the virus can enter through. However, warts can spread through activities like sharing towels and toys or even just playing with friends. Luckily, several tips can help prevent warts, including:

Assign one specific bath or hand towel to each child, not allowing them to use other ones.
Avoid coming into contact with someone else’s wart.
Try not to scratch or pick at a wart.
If applicable, try to have your child wear flip flops in public showers or at public swimming pools.

If you are looking for a location for Massapequa pediatrics where your child’s wart can be treated and removed, our team at Pediatric Associates of Plainview can be of assistance to you.

Treatment

While warts are not medically harmful, it is best to have them removed as they are unappealing and susceptible to spreading. Over the counter removers such as adhesive pads or solutions with salicylic acid have been known to be effective. Using solutions with propane or freon that “freeze” the wart also have a 75% success rate after two to three treatments. If you find that over the counter treatments are not working in removing your child’s wart, you may want to take a trip to our location for Massapequa pediatrics. Doctors typically use two approaches for wart removal: They either destroy the wart itself or work to boost the immune system, allowing the body to clear itself of the wart. These processes are commonly performed as follows:

Removal Process:
- Doctors may freeze the wart with liquid nitrogen.
- Salicylic acid may be prescribed by your doctor to be applied to the wart.
- In some cases, a laser can be used to destroy the wart.
Boosting The Immune System:
- Topical preparation such as squaric acid may be applied to the area to increase immune functioning.
- A medication known as Tagamet may be prescribed. It will help stimulate the immune system so it attacks the wart.

Contact Us For Massapequa Pediatrics Today!

Unfortunately, warts are a common condition that may affect your child at any time. At Pediatrics Associates of Plainview, our team can help rid your child of those pesky warts. We’d love to be your go-to stop for Massapequa pediatrics, so contact us to learn how we can help your child today!