Wart Facts

Common and plantar warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by a human papillomavirus. Warts are contagious and can spread from person to person or from one body part to another by touch or direct contact. Warts can also be spread indirectly through contact with contaminated surfaces such as wet floors, swimming pool areas, etc. Between 7-10% of the population have warts. Children are more likely to have warts than adults. Infection seems to be more likely to occur if a person’s skin has been previously damaged in some way, such as through a minor cut. However, infection can occur even if the skin is not damaged in any way. It is believed that the immune system may play a role in the development of warts. Warts are particularly common in childhood due to immature immune system resistance and frequent skin-to-skin contact with other children which increases the likelihood of transmission.

Warts can be round or irregular in shape, flat or raised from the surface of the skin. Typically, common warts grow around the nails, on the fingers and on the backs of hands, but also can be found on the knees and face (most often where the skin has been previously broken). A common wart can also be recognized by its rough, "cauliflower"-like surface. Plantar warts are found on the bottom of the feet. Plantar warts can also be recognized by their tenderness and by the way they interrupt the normal pattern of the skin on the foot. Due to the pressure normally applied to the bottom of the feet through walking, plantar warts tend to appear flat in structure and are often painful. Most plantar warts are not raised above the surface of the skin. Plantar warts can be confused with calluses.

While warts are nothing to be overly concerned about from a medical standpoint, they typically are not a welcome physical attribute. Mark Twain's legendary character, Huckleberry Finn, suggested rubbing a wart with the blood of a dead black cat, and old wives' tales proposed rubbing the wart with a baked onion that is later buried in the ground under a full moon. These are some "legendary" ways to remove warts.

Today, medical experts suggest a more practical and effective approach. In the case of children, it may be best to try an over-the-counter product first, since office procedures performed by a doctor may frighten a child. However, compliance is a problem with many of the products available. Compound W®, the #1 pharmacist recommended leading brand of wart removal products is safe and effective to use on children over the age of four.

Adults can choose from several Compound W® medications including Compound W® Waterproof One Step Pads, Compound W® Fast-Acting Liquid, Compound W® Fast-Acting Gel and Compound W® Waterproof One Step Pads for Feet. All of these Compound W® products contain the maximum allowable OTC strength salicylic acid -- the ingredient pharmacists recommend for treating common and plantar warts.

Compound W Freeze Off® Wart Removal System is the latest innovation in wart removal from Compound W®. It now allows consumers to use at home a "wart freezing" treatment similar to those used by medical professionals. Compound W Freeze Off® Wart Removal System easily freezes and removes both common and plantar warts.

While most warts eventually go away, it can take a very long time. During this prolonged time, the virus can spread to other parts of the body or to other people. Perhaps more importantly to some, warts can cause undue embarrassment, especially to self-conscious children and teens.

While it is impossible to completely avoid contact with human papillomavirus, there are precautions one can take to help lessen the risks of developing warts:

• Avoid biting and chewing fingernails and cuticles. This can predispose skin to infection.
• Moisturize dry, cracked skin.
• Avoid walking around barefoot in damp showers, locker rooms or on swimming pool decks.
• Purchase an inexpensive pair of plastic sandals or flip-flops to protect feet from possible contamination with the wart virus.
• Do not share towels or washcloths.
• Wash hands often and moisturize (reiterate the importance of this to children).
• Avoid sweaty feet by lining shoes with special liners or using foot powders to keep feet dry.

Whether it's a wart on your child's hand or a plantar wart on the bottom of your foot, there is a specially designed Compound W® product that can help. With innovative products for adults and children over the age of four, Compound W® has been a trusted name in wart removal for almost 50 years.

Compound W Freeze Off® Wart Removal System is an innovation in wart removal that enables you to easily and effectively freeze and remove common and plantar warts at home. For years, doctors have performed a simple "wart freezing" process in their offices that quickly removes warts. In the past, this procedure could only be done in a medical professional's office. Now Compound W Freeze Off® Wart Removal System and Compound W Freeze Off® Plantar Wart Removal System have taken this type of treatment and made it available for use at home, over-the-counter. The product works by applying a foam applicator to the center of the wart for no more than 40 seconds. The applicator tip is cooled to about -55° C. Typically, the wart falls off within two weeks' time and new skin grows in its place. Generally, as little as one self-administered treatment is required.

Maximum Strength Compound W® Wart Remover Fast-Acting Liquid is the pharmacist recommended solution for easily removing common warts. With its easy-to-use brush applicator and maximum allowable OTC strength formula, removing warts is targeted and effective.

Maximum Strength Compound W® Wart Remover Fast-Acting Gel utilizes a trusted active ingredient (salcylic acid) in a no-drip gel formula. The gel formula is thicker, making it easy to apply directly to the wart itself.

Maximum Strength Compound W® Wart Remover Waterproof One Step Pads treats common warts in a convenient, one step application. The self-adhesive, waterproof pads provide effective medication to the wart while covering up and protecting the surrounding skin.

Maximum Strength Compound W® Wart Remover Waterproof One Step Pads for Feet treats plantar warts in the convenience of your own home. It features cushioned, waterproof, self-adhesive pads that resemble a large bandage. Compound W® Wart Remover One Step Invisible Strips offers the same effective treatment as the pads, but in a more discreet way.