Page 45 - (DK) Home Doctor: Providing practical advice on home treatments

COMMON CONDITIONS: SKIN, HAIR, AND NAIL PROBLEMS 43

Warts and plantar warts

Warts are small, round growths on the skin that have a rough, cauliflower-like appearance and, sometimes,
tiny black spots in the center. They are caused by a virus and tend to be most common in children and young
adults. Warts are most likely to develop on your hands or on the soles of your feet; those that occur on the
feet are called plantar warts. Although warts do not usually hurt, plantar warts may be painful because
walking puts pressure on them – it may feel like having a pebble in your shoe.

See your doctor first
DRUG REMEDIES
Make an appointment to see your doctor if:
● You are not entirely certain that a new Salicylic acid gels, lotions, or ointments
(see p.188) soften warts so that they can then be
growth on your skin is a wart
● You have warts on your face or around the removed easily. Products containing salicylic acid
can burn healthy skin, however, so you need to use
anus or genitals: these need special treatment
them with care. Make sure that you apply them
only to the wart and not to the surrounding skin.
What you can do yourself
Most warts disappear eventually, but it can take PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE
a long time – sometimes years. Prompt treatment
may, however, help prevent them from spreading Treating a wart You can remove a wart
or hurting and can clear them up completely. gradually by soaking it, rubbing it with a pumice stone,
and applying a wart remover. Instructions for use vary,
● A wart remover containing salicylic acid is
but most can be used as follows.
usually effective (see DRUG REMEDIES, right).
First soak the wart
● Follow a treatment regimen using a pumice for a few minutes in
stone and wart remover until your wart has 1 warm water to soften
disappeared (see PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE, right). it. Then use a pumice
stone to rub the
● A soft insole inside your shoe may help to
surface of the wart
reduce the discomfort of a plantar wart. gently. This will help
to remove dead skin.
● Don’t scratch or pick at your warts – this may
make them spread. Nail biting may also spread the Rub away dead skin from
the surface of the wart
infection, so try not to do it (see NAIL BITING, p.54).
Isolate the wart with
a corn pad, or shield
2 the surrounding skin
Seek further medical advice
with petroleum jelly.
Arrange to see your doctor if: Apply the wart
remover, then cover
● Your wart does not respond to treatment the treated wart with
● The wart changes in appearance, bleeds, an adhesive bandage.
or becomes red, hot, and painful
Keep wart remover away
from surrounding skin
Once a week, rub away the treated surface
with the pumice stone. Treat the wart until
3 it disappears. (This may take several weeks.)