Medical professionals do not fully understand why some people get warts and others seem to resist them. Nor do they know why warts often disappear spontaneously without any treatment at all. (It is this sudden demise of warts that has given rise to amusing “cures” like having someone buy them from you.)

The best thing about warts is that they are harmless and, left alone, will usually go away within a couple of years. Unfortunately, that’s far too long for most children to wait!

A Wart or Something Else?
Warts are easily identified. If you look closely at one, you will see that it has tiny dark dots on the surface. These are blood vessels that are supplying the wart. If you are in doubt about a growth on your child’s skin, always check with a doctor to put your mind at rest.

Preventing and Treating Warts
Since warts are contagious, it is wise to teach your child not to inspect a friend’s warts too closely. (This will have to be handled with sensitivity to avoid hurting another child’s feelings.) If your child has warts, you may want to explain that they can spread to others through touch and to be cautious about “sharing” them. You should also explain that picking or chewing at a wart is not a good idea as this may cause the virus to spread.

There are two primary treatments for warts: applying salicylic acid and freezing. (People with diabetes or circulatory problems should check with their doctor before using any wart-control product.)

• Salicylic acid literally burns the wart off. You can find salicylic acid products for warts in the pharmacy department. Salicylic acid preparations require the acid to be painted or dabbed on to the wart and covered with a plaster. (Protect the surrounding skin with petroleum jelly.) Two weeks of repeated treatments are normally required to remove a wart.
• Freezing a wart (cryotherapy) destroys the virus-infected cells. These will eventually shed off and new skin will grow in their place. Freezing may be done in a doctor’s office or at home, using the Wartner® wart removal system, now available from London Drugs.

Do Toads Cause Warts?
Warts result from human viruses, not from toads or frogs. The myth that toads or frogs give rise to warts has two possible origins: Toads have bumpy skins that help camouflage them in their natural habitat. Since these bumps resemble warts, they may have created the belief that if toads themselves are warty, they can pass these on to humans.

Another possible source of this myth are the poison glands located on the backs of some species of toad. People who develop an allergic reaction to the secretions from these glands may get bumps that look like warts.

A New Treatment for Warts
Wartner® wart removal system, available from London Drugs, is a fast and effective remedy for warts, based on the proven freezing method (cryotherapy) used by dermatologists.

Following application, the tissue freezes and a blister forms underneath the wart. Approximately ten days later, the wart falls off leaving new, healthy skin.

Please refer to the enclosed information leaflet before using this product and talk to your London Drugs pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns. Used as directed, Wartner® is a safe and effective treatment for adults and children over four years of age.

Wartner® is for use on common warts and should not be used to treat facial, anal or genital warts. You should refrain from using Wartner® if you have diabetes or are pregnant. While this product is ideal for treating a child’s warts, it should always be applied by an adult. As with all medications, it should be kept safely out of the reach of children.

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