Tips For Warts & Verrucas in Children
Children and teens are more likely to get plantar warts or verrucas than other age groups.
They are more susceptible to warts because their immune systems are not fully developed, and the areas on their body are more prone to a minor injury, so often a break in the skin makes it easy for the wart to enter.
It may take two to six months after exposure for plantar warts to appear.
How do children pick up a plantar wart or verruca?
The problem is that the contagious wart can enter through tiny cuts, breaks or other weak spots on the sole of the foot. Warts can then spread from person to person or by contact with a surface contaminated with warts.
Examples are:
- Cracks in dry skin
- Cuts or scrapes or
- Wet, softened, fragile skin, particularly from prolonged water exposure
Plantar warts differ from other warts by growing inwards. There is thickening and damage to the child's skin, followed by the appearance of plantar warts.
Fortunately, these warts are benign growths that form round areas of rough skin with a dry crusty surface and tiny black dots deep inside, but as they grow, they can become very painful as pressure is applied. The black dots are dried-up capillary blood vessels.
Before long, a plantar wart tends to become flattened and painful from the pressure of walking so that it feels as if you are walking on a small stone.
What are the symptoms of plantar warts or verrucas?
- While they can be similar in appearance to other types of warts, they tend to go deeper into your skin.
- They can have a rough, thick surface that may look like a cauliflower.
- They can be discolored - such as dark pink, yellow, brown, purple or gray.
- They can be dotted with brown or black specks which are dried blood clots.
- There can be pain, tenderness or discomfort.
- These warts or verrucas on the feet can bleed.
- They typically form on, around or between the toes; on the balls of the feet; or on the heels.
Sometimes, many plantar warts will grow together in a large cluster called a mosaic wart.
View our photo gallery of warts.
How to tackle plantar warts in your child
- You can use an over-the-counter salicylic acid preparation available at the pharmacy in liquid, gel, pad or ointment form. However, these can burn the skin if not used very carefully. It can take several months to get rid of a large one using this method. Prolonged usedis not recommended especially in young children. Warts can spread, so monitor your child's feet closely and tackle those warts while they are still small.
- Duct tape is another approach where any color of duct tape is applied to the wart, which is covered 24 hours a day, six out of seven days a week, for six weeks.
- You can visit your doctor for the plantar wart to be cut out.
- An all-natural plantar warts home remedy such as H-Warts Formula is available online to use on your plantar warts safely and successfully at home.
How to prevent plantar warts in your children
Here are some suggestions:
- Keeping their feet clean and dry.
- Avoiding walking barefoot in public places like pool decks, locker rooms and showers.
- Wearing shoes or sandals in public places.
- Avoiding sharing shoes or socks with others.
- Disinfecting any cuts or scrapes on your child's feet to prevent infection.
- Making sure they do not touch other people's warts.
Try to inspect your child's feet regularly for signs of warts, such as small, hard bumps on the soles.
How do plantar warts or verrucas affect the body?
- They may be painful or even very painful.
- They may cause a change in how your child stands, walks or runs - to avoid the pain.
- Over time, such changes to the natural posture or movement may cause pain, discomfort or stress in the muscles, tissues or joints in the feet and ankles.
- Plantar warts can even affect your child's mental health, causing them to feel self-conscious about their appearance.
Tips to ensure extra comfort for your child
While applying a plantar warts remedy, you might like to use a special pad or doughnut-shaped piece of moleskin around the wart to relieve any pressure and pain from the wart.
This is particularly useful for children who still want to run around, play sports, and live their everyday life despite the plantar wart under their feet.
SOURCES:
Habif TP. Plantar warts. In: Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 6th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. -(Accessed March 2, 2024).
Kwok CS, et al. Topical treatments for cutaneous warts. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001781.pub3/abstract.-(Accessed March 2, 2024).
Warts. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/u---w/warts. Accessed March 2, 2024.
American Academy of Dermatology. How do dermatologists treat warts?. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/contagious-skin-diseases/warts#treatment. Accessed January 26, 2024.
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.