PlanetRx - Learn More - Product Advice - Wart Removers

It takes patience

They're ugly, embarrassing, and hard to get rid of. Warts surface externally, but they're caused by an internal virus. Though contagious, you'd probably never be able to find out who you got a wart from, because the incubation period can be as long as a year. While they're effective, over-the-counter products available to combat these wicked little things take time and persistence. Although most of us would like them to be gone yesterday, it can take anywhere from two to 12 weeks to fully treat a wart.

For the Worry Warts

Viruses cause warts. They infect skin cells and interfere with their reproductive mechanisms. This interference causes the affected cells to produce warty cells instead of normal cells, creating a wart on the hand, face, or feet.
Plantar warts are found only on the bottom of feet and look similar to calluses, but can be distinguished by the fact that the skin ridges of the foot do not run across the surface. Without proper treatment they can make walking painful and even impossible.
Warts are contagious and can have a very long incubation period (average is three to four months). Sometimes it can take up to a year for the virus to produce a wart.
Warts should be kept clean and covered in order to prevent reinfection and spreading.
Do not use wart paints or plasters if you suffer from diabetes or have poor blood circulation.
Only common and plantar warts should be self-treated. Wart paints and plasters should not be used on birthmarks, warts with hair growing in them, moles, warts on the face, or genital warts. Consult your doctor or dermatologist for proper treatment.
Wart removal products must be used for several weeks or longer in order to get rid of warts. It is not a quick process and requires numerous applications.
Salicylic acid, the most common ingredient in wart treatment products, can damage healthy tissue, so it's important to only apply wart removal medications to affected areas.
Do not use salicylic products if you are allergic to aspirin or other salicylates.
Do not place wart paint or plaster on open wounds.

Keratolytic agents

Also called exfoliants, these remove the hardened outer layer of the skin by loosening the cells and increasing the moisture in the skin.

Ingredient		Description
Keratolytic Agents
Salicylic acid	?	The only product FDA-approved for common or plantar wart removal. Do not use products containing salicylic acid if you are diabetic or have poor blood circulation.

FDA-Approved Uses

Salicylic acid

For removal of the common wart, which is easily recognized by the rough "cauliflower-like" appearance of the surface. Also used to remove plantar warts, which are located only on the bottom of the foot. They interrupt the surface of the footprint and are usually very tender.Before Applying the Acid

Thoroughly wash and dry the affected area before applying any products. Soak your foot in warm water for five minutes beforehand to assist in removal.
Try to remove loosened dead skin gently using a rough towel, callus file, or pumice stone.

How Do You Want Your Acid?

Collodions: solutions that dry quickly when applied, leaving a thin film of the active ingredient in contact with the skin. A collodion contains a compound that, when dried, forms a barrier that prevents the salicylic acid from being rubbed or removed from the skin. Peel away and reapply the collodion every two to three days, for up to 14 days or until the corn or callus is removed.
Medicated plaster: a topical medication administered via a piece of fabric kept in direct contact with the skin by adhesives. Plasters are available in precut sizes appropriate for covering a corn or callus. Apply and remove within 48 hours, with a maximum of five treatments over a two-week period.
Kara gum and glycol plaster vehicles are unique to wart removers. Put them on the wart at night before you go to sleep. They should stay on for eight hours and be removed when you wake up.
Regardless of the method you choose, avoid getting salicylic acid on unhardened, uncallused skin. It may cause irritation and damage.