Stop Blaming the Frog…
The Real Culprit of Common and Plantar Warts is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Most people will tell you that if you want to avoid getting warts you shouldn't touch frogs or toads. This legendary belief in the amphibious cause of common warts may be the result of folktales and lore read to us as small children. Unfortunately, these tales have created a major misconception about what warts are and where they come from.
While the incidence of warts in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, few people, including sufferers, realize that all human warts, no matter where they are located on the body, are caused by a viral infection, namely, the human papilloma virus (HPV). This virus causes skin cells to multiply rapidly, resulting in benign (non-cancerous) growths that are more embarrassing than serious, yet are very contagious.
More than 63 types of HPV have been identified, with certain types having a predisposition for infecting particular locations of the body, such as the hands, feet, scalp and genital area.
Who Gets HPV?
As many as 40 million people may carry HPV, with the majority of them falling below the age of 40. In children, who are often the most chronic sufferers, the virus typically results in common, or cutaneous, warts (verruca vulgaris), such as those on the hands and knees; or plantar warts (verruca plantaris), that can be found only on the bottom of the feet. Adults who carry the HPV virus may also suffer from cutaneous warts, plantar warts or genital warts. All forms of warts are spread through direct contact with the HPV virus.
Oftentimes, the human papilloma virus does not cause any visible symptoms, remaining inactive, or latent, in or on the skin. This means that many people, young and old, may have HPV without ever knowing it. "Symptoms" of HPV are usually seen when there is an opening in the skin at the time that the person contracts HPV. An opening in the skin can be caused by cuts/scrapes, shaving, biting fingernails and cuticles, cracked skin, eczema, or skin that is exposed to excessive moisture, such as sweaty feet.
If you are prone to getting scrapes and cuts, you are more likely to contract HPV. This is one of the main reasons why children are at greater risk for developing the virus -- more than 10 percent of the 39 million children ages two through 11 will suffer from warts.
There are some people who may be immune to the virus, no matter how many times they come in contact with it, while others may actually be prone to developing warts. Changes in our immune system, such as those that result from chemotherapy or other radical medical treatments and HIV infection, can also make us more susceptible to contracting HPV and warts.

What Are Common and Plantar Warts?
Common warts are benign (non-cancerous) growths that consist of a hard core of skin. They can be round or irregular in shape, flat or raised. Their color can be variations of white, gray or brown. Typically, common warts grow around fingernails, 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. You can recognize a common wart by its rough, "cauliflower"-like surface.
Plantar warts can be recognized by their location only on the bottom of the foot, their tenderness, and identified by the way they interrupt the normal pattern of the skin. They may appear rough, bumpy, spongy, thick and/or scaly. Plantar warts can be brown or gray in color (with a dark center), and they are often painful if not treated. They are usually larger than common warts and are flatter because of the pressure put on the bottom of the foot.

Removing Warts
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 popular line of wart removal products, has a product specifically made for children called Compound W® Waterproof One Step Pads for Kids, newly designed in bright patterns which helps make the process itself fun. A medicated pad that is camouflaged as a colorful adhesive bandage completely covers the wart. Kids like the bandage, so they keep it on.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 maximum strength salicylic acid -- the ingredient pharmacists recommend most for treating common and plantar warts.
Compound W® Freeze Off™ 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 professionals. Compound W® Freeze Off™ safely and easily freezes and removes both common and plantar warts.

In the case of a wart that is hard to remove or for a person with many warts, it may be best to see a physician for treatment. Sometimes it may take advanced cryotherapy ("freezing" the wart with liquid nitrogen), electrocautery (burning) or curettage (cutting out) to remove a stubborn wart, but there is always a risk of scarring and recurrence. If you suffer from genital warts, have an excessively large wart or cannot determine if you have a wart or another, more serious growth, such as skin cancer, a physician should be consulted immediately.Sometimes people choose to leave the wart alone, allowing it to disappear on its own. While the wart will eventually go away, it can take a very long time, up to several years. This allows more time for the virus to spread to other parts of the body or to other people, and it also may cause undue embarrassment, especially to self-conscious children and teens.

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Tips for Avoiding Common Warts

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Compound W Products
Whether it's a wart on your child's hand or a plantar wart on the bottom your foot, there is a specially designed Compound W® product that can help. Compound W® has been the most trusted name in wart removal for almost 50 years with innovative products for adults and children.
For years, doctors have performed a simple "wart freezing" process that quickly removes warts. Until now, this procedure could only be done in a medical professional's office. Compound W® Freeze Off™ is an innovation in wart removal that enables you to safely and easily freeze and remove common and plantar warts at home. The product works by applying a simple swab-like applicator to the center of the wart for no more than 40 seconds. The applicator tip is cooled to about 55 degrees Celsius below zero. 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.
For more information on Compound W® Freeze Off™, click here to view the Directions For Use brochure.
Maximum Strength Compound W® Fast-Acting Liquid is the pharmacist recommended solution for painlessly removing common warts. With its easy-to-use brush applicator and maximum strength formula, removing warts is safe and effective.
Maximum Strength Compound W® Fast-Acting Gel and Compound W® Waterproof One Step Pads utilize the same trusted active ingredient in unique applications - a no drip gel formula and all-in-one treatment pad. The gel formula is thicker, making it easy to apply directly to the wart itself. The self-adhesive pads provide effective medication to the wart while protecting the surrounding skin.
Maximum Strength Compound W® Waterproof One Step Pads for Feet treats plantar warts in the convenience of your own home. It features cushioned, self-adhesive pads that resemble a bandage, and is the only waterproof plantar wart treatment available in the market.
For the more than 3.9 million children who suffer from warts each year, there is Maximum Strength Compound W® Waterproof One Step Pads for Kids. With new bold and colorful patterns, children get the same maximum strength medication in a kid-friendly design that protects the sensitive skin surrounding the treated wart. Parents will find that it's less of a battle to treat their children's warts with a product that kids like to wear.
Compound W®… the most trusted name in wart removal!

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