Are Over-The-Counter Wart Treatments Safe?

You can’t damage yourself with these treatments. If you get salicylic acid on normal skin, it can cause burning or redness but never infection or scarring. All you have to do is stop using it on irritated areas, and the skin returns to normal. Still, it’s probably better not to use salicylic acid on sensitive areas like the face or groin, where it’s likely to make nearby skin raw and uncomfortable.

It generally is recommended that salicylic acid not be used in people with diabetes or in areas where there is poor circulation (because of concern about how normally the skin can heal; however, in practice, salicylic acid is withheld only when there are clear signs of ongoing inflammation of the skin).

Likewise, nonprescription freezing products are also safe but must be used carefully and only according to package instructions.

Are wart treatments effective?

Above all, wart treatments require patience. How well wart treatments work is another matter. Warts can appear and disappear without an identifiable cause and may disappear on their own without treatment. Some warts sprout offshoots near the main wart, and others don’t. Some hurt, and others are painless. Certain warts, even of the same type, respond to treatment, while others (even on the same person at the same time) don’t. All treatment methods often require many sessions over weeks, months, or longer to succeed.

Here is a practical approach to the treatment of warts:

• • Plantar warts: Warts on the bottom of the foot feel deep, but they are still within the superficial layer of the skin. Salicylic-acid drops and plasters help remove the thick overlying callus and make the wart feel less like a marble in your shoe. Nonprescription aerosol freezing may be used as well.
  • Common hand warts: These are typically unattractive, although not painful. Salicylic acid can make them smaller and go away in some cases, as can nonprescription freezing.

1. If you can ignore your warts, do so. Eventually, they’ll go away (although eventually can mean a long time — even months or years).

2. If you have an easy case (a single wart on the face or one or a few on the hands), see a doctor for a quick freeze or electrical zap. This method is simple, almost painless, and non-scarring.

3. If you have a hard case, you can start by treating the warts for a few weeks on your own. Examples:

If you have an all-but-impossible case, don’t try too hard. You don’t want to make the treatment worse than the disease. Examples:

• Warts under the nails: These are extremely resistant to treatment. One or two tries by the doctor are worth a shot, but if they fail, putting acid on them yourself just makes them look rough and unattractive.
• “Mosaic” warts: Tiny, so-called “seed warts” can proliferate by the dozens or hundreds all over the sole of the foot. They don’t usually hurt, and they rarely respond to any sort of treatment, although in this case, too, one or two tries at treatment may be in order.
• Flat warts: These are small, flat, flesh-colored pimples and may be numerous on one part of the body (for example on the face, arms, or groin). Getting rid of them by a light application of salicylic acid or other method is easy enough, but they have a tendency to recur.

Identifying Common Skin Conditions; Warts, Moles and More

A reader of our sites recently commented, “I know that the people often mistake warts, skin tags and moles but these are three different skin disorders. I am trying to find out information to convince people that skin tags and warts and moles are not and the same.”

The internet can be a valuable resource to finding answers to most our skin treatment issues. But if you just want a quick overview of the most common skin conditions; warts, moles (nevis), dark spots (dpn), skin tags, and Seb-Ks (seborrheic keratoses), then the information provided here can be a great place to start.

Identifying Common Skin Conditions; Warts, Moles, DPN, Skin Tags and Seb-Ks

There are several skin lesions that are very common and almost always benign (non-cancerous). These conditions include moles, freckles, skin tags, benign lentigines, and seborrheic keratoses.

What is a skin tag?

A skin tag is a common, acquired benign skin growth that looks like a small piece of hanging skin. Skin tags are often described as bits of skin- or flesh-colored tissue that projects from the surrounding skin from a small, narrow stalk. They typically occur in characteristic locations including the neck, underarms, eyelids, and under the breasts (especially where underwire bras rub directly beneath the breasts). Although skin tags may vary somewhat in appearance, they are usually smooth or slightly wrinkled and irregular, flesh-colored or slightly more brown, and hang from the skin by a small stalk. Early or beginning skin tags may be as small as a flattened pinpoint-sized bump around the neck. Some skin tags may be as large as a big grape.

Moles, Dysplastic Nevus and Dermatofibroma

Moles are growths on the skin that are usually brown or black. Moles can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups. Most moles appear in early childhood and during the first 20 years of a person’s life. Some moles may not appear until later in life. It is normal to have between 10-40 moles by adulthood.

As the years pass, moles usually change slowly, becoming raised and/or changing color. Often, hairs develop on the mole. Some moles may not change at all, while others may slowly disappear over time.

A dermatofibroma is a benign skin bump that occurs most commonly on the legs. A dermatofibroma is a firm, slightly elevated, dome-shaped, often darker-colored papule.

Sometimes a dermatofibroma is confused with a mole. The way to tell the difference between the two is to pinch the bump. If you pinch a dermatofibroma it creates a dimple because it is attached to the underlying subcutaneous tissue. On the other hand, if you pinch a mole, it projects up away from the skin.

Dysplastic Nevus

A dysplastic nevus, (or naevus; pl. nevi or naevi) is an atypical melanocytic nevus; a mole whose appearance is different from that of common moles. Dysplastic nevi are generally larger than ordinary moles and have irregular and indistinct borders. Their color frequently is not uniform and ranges from pink to dark brown; they usually are flat, but parts may be raised above the skin surface. Dysplastic nevi can be found anywhere, but are most common on the trunk in men, and on the calves in women.

Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra?

Dermatosis papulosa nigra (DPN) is a benign, cutaneous (relating to the skin) condition common among blacks. It is usually characterized by multiple, small, hyperpigmented, asymptomatic papules on the face of adult blacks. Histologically, dermatosis papulosa nigra resembles seborrheic keratoses. The condition may be cosmetically undesirable to some patients.

Dermatosis papulosa nigra affects up to 35% of the African American population. Blacks with a fair complexion have the lowest frequency of involvement. Dermatosis papulosa nigra also occurs among Asians, although the exact incidence is unknown.

What is a Wart?

A wart (also known as verruca) is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on hands and feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. Warts are common, and are caused by a viral infection, specifically by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and are contagious when in contact with the skin of an infected person. It is also possible to get warts from using towels or other objects used by an infected person. They typically disappear after a few months but can last for years and can recur.

What is Seborrheic Keratosis?

Benign lesions that don’t ever turn into cancer, seborrheic keratoses, or Seb K’s for short, can look dangerous. In reality they are just annoying. Also irreverently called barnacles, they come in all different shapes and sizes from large black growths to barely noticeable raised areas.

Characteristics of Seborrheic Keratosis
The wicked witch with a wart on her nose probably had a Seb K not a wart. So how can you tell if that bump on your face or chest is actually a Seb K? They do have some defining characteristics. Warty surface - Seborrheic keratoses may look like warts but they don’t contain human papilloma viruses that cause warts. As they develop some can have a very rough surface with deep pits and fissures almost like cauliflower being pulled apart.

Hopefully, this helps clear up any misnomers or confusion you may have about a wart or mole or any skin condition you are worried about. If any skin condition persists, changes or grows painful, seek medical attention or the professional advice of a doctor immediately.

Removing Warts with Cryosurgery

How can my wart be removed?

Warts can be removed in a number of ways. One way is called cryosurgery (freezing the wart). This 2-step process removes the wart without hurting the skin around it.

The first step is getting your wart ready to be removed. You can help with this step. The second step is freezing the wart, which will be done by your doctor in his or her office. You may need to have several freezing treatments before the wart is completely removed.

What do I need to do?

You must do some things on your own at home to get the wart ready for removal. Doing these things before you come to your doctor’s office can reduce the number of freezing treatments you need. You should do the following:

1. Every night for 2 weeks, clean the wart with soap and water and put 17% salicylic acid gel (one brand name: Compound W) on it.

2. After putting on the gel, cover the wart with a piece of 40% salicylic acid pad (one brand name: Mediplast). Cut the pad so that it is a little bit bigger than the wart. The pad has a sticky backing that will help it stay on the wart.

3. Leave the pad on the wart for 24 hours. If the area becomes very sore or red, stop using the gel and pad and call your doctor’s office.

4. After you take the pad off, clean the area with soap and water, put more gel on the wart and put on another pad. If you are very active during the day and the pad moves off the wart, you can leave the area uncovered during the day and only wear the pad at night.

What happens next?

After 2 weeks of this treatment, your wart will have turned white and will look fluffy. Your doctor will then be able to remove the white skin layer covering the wart and use cryosurgery to freeze the base (root) of the wart. If your skin reacts strongly to cold, tell your doctor before cryosurgery.

Cryosurgery can be uncomfortable, but it usually isn’t too painful. The freezing is somewhat numbing. When your doctor places the instrument on your skin to freeze the wart, it will feel like an ice cube is stuck to your skin. Afterward, you may feel a burning sensation as your skin thaws out.

Healing after cryosurgery usually doesn’t take long. You will probably be able to enjoy all your usual activities while you heal, including bathing or showering. Cryosurgery leaves little or no scar. After the area has healed, the treated skin may be a bit lighter in color than the skin around it.

Source

Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff. American Academy of Family Physicians

Reviewed/Updated: 12/06, Created: 09/93