Warts on children’s hands and feet are fairly common. They don’t typically pose any long-term threat, but they can be uncomfortable in certain situations and often cause embarrassment for children.
It’s estimated that between 10% and 20% of children have skin warts. Most kids will get warts between the ages of 12 and 16. Of these children, girls tend to develop warts more than boys. While warts are generally harmless, they are contagious.
What Causes Warts?
Warts are actually an infection in the top layer of the skin. A tiny scratch on the skin opens the door for viruses that will enter and begin to grow rapidly. As this infection grows, it forms a wart.
Even though warts can grow anywhere on the body, they most often appear on hands and feet where small scratches and cuts occur more frequently. The virus that causes warts is always looking for unprotected areas of the skin, which is why children who bite their fingernails or pick at hangnails tend to get warts more often.
Types of Warts
Common Warts – These are usually found on fingers, hands, knees and elbows. They are typically small, hard and skin-colored. They have a rough surface and are usually dome shaped.
Flat Warts – Much smaller and smoother than other types of warts, flat warts get their name because of their flat appearance on the skin. They are usually found on faces of children.
Plantar Warts – Some kids will develop plantar warts on the bottom of their feet. They can be very uncomfortable and can grow in patches.
Filiform Warts – These warts have a finger-like shape and are typically seen on or around the mouth, eyes or nose.
How Can I Get Rid of Warts?
There are many different suggestions of wart remedies that range from somewhat logical to absolutely absurd. Still, since warts don’t pose any real health threat, any reasonable remedy can work. Some of the more popular remedies include the following:
Over the counter treatments from the drugstore
Duct tape
Garlic
Apple cider vinegar
Milkweed
Banana mash
High concentration of vitamin C
Honey
Pineapple juice
It’s important to use common sense and logic when treating a wart on your own. Warts often go away on their own. Any home remedy you try is simply speeding that process up. The last thing you want to do is to use a treatment that actually causes damage and makes things worse.
If your child has warts that just don’t want to go away, talk to us at AllKids Urgent Care about other available procedures. These might include freezing the wart off with liquid nitrogen or using a prescription that specifically targets the wart.
Give us a call at 480-633-1111 or stop by. We’re happy to answer your questions.
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