Pediatric warts are caused by various strains of the human papillomavirus. Though most pediatric warts don’t cause pain, they may cause embarrassment when they grow on the face, and they can spread on your child’s body or to other people who come in contact with the warts or items like towels or clothes that have touched the warts. Certain types of warts, like plantar warts on the soles of the feet, palmar warts on the hands, and periungual warts around the nails can cause pain.
How Do You Treat Pediatric Warts?
The treatment depends on a number of factors. If the warts aren’t causing your child pain or embarrassment, it may not be necessary to treat them, as most warts go away on their own over time. That may take weeks or even months, though, so in other cases, we may recommend you consider using a topical medication or having the warts removed. The type, placement, and number of warts involved factor into the decision as well. There are several safe ways we can treat pediatric warts:
Topical Treatment – Both prescription and over-the-counter topical treatments are available for removing warts. When treating children, though, it’s important to consult a medical professional in order to prevent any kind of dosing problems or skin irritation.
Liquid Nitrogen – Spraying the wart with liquid nitrogen kills the cells in the wart, and the dead cells will slough off. This is done at a dermatologist’s office to ensure a clean environment and minimal risk of infection, and to avoid damaging the healthy skin surrounding the wart by accidentally freezing it.
Excision – In some cases, cutting the wart out may be the best solution to give your child immediate relief or to prevent it from spreading into a place where it could cause a problem, like near the eyes.
Laser Removal – Laser surgery can offer fast results with shortened healing time.
Safe Pediatric Wart Treatment in Orlando
At Derrow Dermatology, we love working with kids! If your child has pediatric warts that are painful, causing problems with their normal activities, or a source of embarrassment, give us a call and we’ll schedule an appointment to let you know how we can help.
