my son has wart on his thumb...help!

United States
October 26, 2008 12:43pm CST
Okay so my son has a wart on his thumb. I havent taken him to the doc cuz i figured they would jsut freeze it and a doc appt even with insurance costs about 40 out of my pocket, the freeze stuff over the counter is still 12-20 bucks depending which brand it is...plus they all say not for children under 12 yrs old, and my son is only 5, i asked teh pharmacy if they know why the age restriction and they said cuz of the sensitivity of the skin on younger children. Hubby is off work for a while now so that is why i need to go inexpensive if possible, but effective.. So question, before i go buy anything is there something around the home that might help? I had a friend tell me she took her daughter who is 5 had a few of them in different areas (knees, face, and finger) and the dermatologist told her WD-40 and a bandaid. Her daughter wouldnt keep the bandaids on so she dont know if it would have worked, she ended up going and having them removed by the doc, but she also has state insurance so it was all paid for..nothing out of pocket. Any suggestions on what else i can try or if anyone has used the WD-40 trick and it worked?
4 people like this
8 responses
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Oct 08
faln angel If you could afford all those food stuffs advised to take off a wart, why not just get an inexpensive bottle of wart remover at your pharmacy. Some of those are mild enough for a child of five, and they do work, whereas a lot of home remedies do not work. Then you had just wasted money on all those various suggestion when you cou ld have bought an effective wart remover instead.The ones I saw in our pharmacy did not cost twelve to twenty bucks, all were just three or four dollars at most.
2 people like this
• United States
26 Oct 08
thats why i stated in my reply to the home remedies..they would need to be inexpensive..lol. I just now went back to the pharmacy after posting this and also looked online at walgreens and cvs...and the cheepeest i found was salicyclic acid for 7.99 so i bought it. a bit cheaper but the freeze away stuff was definitely 12 bucks or more..but it has butane in it which i dindt notice before and now understand why it can be so harmful to smaller children...the salicylic is safe for over age of 2. I still would like some other home ideas in case this doesnt work but at that point i think i will just do the doc idea and well come up with the money somehow, always do when you have no other choice.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
27 Oct 08
Salicylic acid also works but it has cooling and strange sensation, make sure your kid does not rub the area.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
27 Oct 08
I have heard of the wd40 being effective - I would go that route first, at least if it does not work you can still use the spray for other things. Compound W is a bit cheaper than a doc. appt. If you ever get a planter's wart keeping it clean/dry and covered with a white cotton sock will work. I think warts are caused by a virus...
2 people like this
• Philippines
27 Oct 08
Yes it is caused by a virus so it is very important not to share stuff especially with older one whose warts are all over the body. Yes you're right.
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
27 Oct 08
Well first off using WD-40 is a little off the top if you ask me. You don't want to put that crap on your child, you never know what reaction a child could have. As for removing the warts, well a lot of the home remedies won't work. Warts can spread so I would just take your child in. Sometimes we have to sacrifice for our kids. Also if you do end up taking your child to the doctors, if they freeze the wart, chances are it could come back, so I would make it clear that you don't want a repeat & since you are paying the money for the visit make sure they just cut/burn it off. Of course they will numb your child. I have noticed with my daughter, she was always getting this one wart back. We had it frozen more then once. I finally said to the doctor that there has to be a way to just get rid of the dang thing & he said yes, but they usually try freezing first. In the long run, we had my daughters wart cut off & then burned. It looked painful, but wasn't. She was numb. As for the freezing products over the counter, they don't work that well, but if that is all you can do for right now, I would rather do that before even thinking of WD-40. So I think your best bet would be that. I know it says 12 & over, but it's still safe to use, from what I been told from my daughters doctor that is. Good luck... just remember that warts can spread & the best way for removal is a doctors visit & if you can't at this time & I can understand that, just try the over the counter wart removal stuff.
1 person likes this
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
27 Oct 08
I don't know how long your son has had his wart; but, when I first start to get a wart I immediately put a drop or two of Vitamin A on it; cover it with a bandaid and swallow the little bit that is still in the capsule. I do this twice a day for just one or two days and the wart just goes away. Vitamin A has anti-viral properties and a small bottle is very inexpensive and handy to have around for future warts; and, it helps reduce cold and flu symptoms and make those go away quicker too. But, I do not know if it would work on an older more established wart. Like I said, I use it at the first sign of a wart before it gets very big.
2 people like this
• United States
27 Oct 08
He has had it a while but thanks for the tip i will keep note of it in case he ever gets another one...
1 person likes this
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
27 Oct 08
I had warts on both hands at one time and putting anything (butter, petroleum jelly, hand lotion) on the wart and covering it seemed to help soften it. Then you had to cut off the top part and do the same thing again. The problem with warts is that they usually multiply. If he has only one now, the best thing to do would be to take him to the doctor to get it removed. If it's the "mother" then removing it before any others grow would be smart.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Oct 08
Hello! In the most recent issue of the newsletter I get called "Natural Healing with Dr. Mark Stengler" (volume 4, No.11, Nov 2008) he shares a remedy for warts. I looked and didnt see any copyright warning anywhere in the newsletter so I will write what he said here: This was in response to a question a mother asked about warts on her young son that were now spreading to his face. He replied: "Warts are caused by a tenacious virus, which means that you may not be able to fully prevent them. And as you have seen, flare-ups can last for months. Outbreaks such as the ones your son is experiencing are best treated with a homeopathic remedy (there are topical treatments for warts, but they should never be used on the face, because many are caustic and can cause scarring). Try THUJA OCCIDENTALIS, which comes from a plant in the evergreen family. (these remedies come as small pellets you put in your mouth or under the tongue) Take 2 pellets of a 30C potency twice daily for two weeks. (a good brand is BOIRON which is available in health food stores) If the condition does not completely clear up, continue this course of treatment for four more weeks. Then, if the warts are still a problem, consult with a holistic doctor, who can prescribe an individually targeted homeopathic remedy." Usually in health food stores these types of pellets come in small little containers the size of a lipbalm package and if I remember correctly they dont cost a whole lot...maybe $5-$8 or so.. (I dont remember exactly) You could always call a health food store near you to see if they have this and find out the cost and if it's in stock so you dont have to make an unnecessary trip to the store. I hope this helps and even though your little guy's wart has been treated already, this info may help someone else or just save the info as an FYI for future occassions if need be. Hope this helps! Best wishes to you, Starlighter
• United States
27 Oct 08
Even if i find an answer to a prob i post about, i still welcome and appreciate any tips or advice as you never know whne you or someone else may need it. the remover i put on it yestereday already has shrunk it down enough for me to notice, so its working at least a little....so time will tell. thanks again
@manunulat (604)
• Philippines
27 Oct 08
The best thing to do is still have your kid be consulted by a dermatologist. Your friend's case may not be the same as your kid's, as the specialist is more knowledgeable in determining the signs and symptoms. My question further is, do you have pets in the home like reptiles or any other stuff your kid may have touched? Hand-washing should strictly be enforced, have your kid use sulfur soap or any anti-bactericidal suited for his age and keep the area dry. I am not recommending home remedies as this could have worsen the case since his skin is very sensitive and what's worse is when you use these home remedies, they may cause break in skin hence it is posting risk for infection. Of course you don't want that. Think of the kid's welfare other than the cost. Make sure he does not scratch, rub or bite on the area. A wart on his skin may be a sign of immunologic response, a vitamin deficiency and some other stuff a dermatologist can only figure out when checked.
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
27 Oct 08
I have heard recently (but have not tried) that you can put duct tape over the wart and wait quite awhile (a week?). Then when you pull it off, the wart comes off with the tape. They say that duct tape seals air away from the wart and this somehow causes it to die and peel off with the tape. Hope it works!
1 person likes this