Water Warts - share your story or tips for coping - chance to win £300 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Are you one of the 56%* of parents who have never heard of water warts? Or are you able to spot the symptoms of water warts? Do you have experience of them in your own children?

In case you didn't know, water warts are a skin condition most common in childhood characterised by raised spots which can look like small pearls under the skin - this can last up to 18 months without treatment.

MolluTinc is a new treatment for water warts now available from pharmacies. It is the only product available in the UK to contain 10% potassium hydroxide and works by breaking down the water warts on the skin and allowing the body’s own immune system to tackle the virus that causes them. Applied twice daily for 2-10 days, it can help clear water warts within 1-5 weeks. It is suitable for those aged one year and upwards. For more information, visit mollutinc.co.uk/

Here’s what MolluTinc has to say: "whilst water warts only affects 5-11% of children aged 16 years and under, over 11% of children affected will experience a severe impact on quality-of-life as a result of the condition - we would love to know what you know about water warts, how you cope with them and your own tips on how to avoid them"

Please share your experiences with this condition. If you haven’t heard of water warts, we’d also love to hear from you about how you imagine them to be. All who share their tips for coping with water warts or their experiences of it on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 John Lewis voucher!

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw.

MNHQ

Standard Insight T and Cs apply

• stats from a MolluTinc survey of 500 parents of children aged 2-14

[ElenaInEaling]

Are these the same as molluscum contagium? Because my daughter was diagnosed with these when she was around 6 months - shes had them for about 11 months now and they look like raised pearls under the skin. Our GP said the virus can last for around 18 months but they are harmless. She said its fine our daughter to swim in swimming pools (because of chlorine and large body of water) but not share bathwater/towels.

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

Literally never heard molluscum contagiosum described as water warts before, and pretty much all HCPs say the best thing to do is to leave them alone. In my experience they fall off on their own, though they do look unsightly.

[HoneyDragon]

Never heard them referred to as water warts either. Kids get them and unless they cause discomfort or get infected you leave them alone.

Surely all that the tincture is dry them out? We found swimming did that.

[ASDismynormality]

Also never heard them being called water warts. I also didn't realise there was any treatment for them, thought it was something that was left to run its course.

[Belmo]

I've heard of them on here but don't think my two have had them.

[gazzalw]

Not sure my DCs have ever had them.

[shamoffour]

My eldest had Molloscum. Never heard it called water warts.
No wonder 56% of parents haven't heard of them it's not the correct name for this condition
I bet a lot more have heard of Molloscum.

[chemenger]

Molluscum? Never heard of water warts, why not use the correct name? They just go away don't they? Both mine had them for a few months then they disappeared.

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

This is going well

[HoneyDragon]

I think Mollutinc are trying to make water warts a thing.

Dumbing down mollescum for the masses

[sharond101]

I think of seen them before so good to know what they are and that they can treated.

[FoofFighter]

Heard of MC yes - water warts? never, sorry MolluTinc I think you should change your blurb! No wonder half of parents surveyed hadn't heard of them...

lets change headlice name to hair ninjas maybe?

[Kleptronic]

My lad had just one on his arm for ages when he was 12, then scraped it off when he fell over. That almost turned into cellulitis, and he had to go on a course of antibiotics.

The he got them all over his neck, upper back and arms - 20/30 of them. He was very self-conscious and wouldn't go swimming, point blank refused.

Fortunately they went in three months rather than 18, but if this product had been out I would have tried it.

[outnumbered77]

Water warts? Is this molloscum? My son's suffered for over 2 years but I'm told they'll go eventually. They don't bother him (more me as I want to pick them!). My daughter had a few but then she picked one and they all cleared up.
I've tried tea tree oil, painting nail varnish on them and an expensive solution I bought online that did nothing. I might be tempted to try something new depending on cost.

[ParadiseCity]

Also never heard of them but I like the rebranded name, why not. I also LOVE the sound of hair ninjas . Can we redo veruccas next?

[chemenger]

Surely Molluscum Contagiosum is the coolest name possible for this? It's the only disease that sounds like a harry potter curse, the name is by far the best thing about it.

[CopperPan]

Never heard of water worts but I used to get these as a kid. I never had any treatment for it and it just disappeared, but it would have been nice to be able to get rid of them quickly. My dc have never been affected.

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

Yes to hair ninjas and the Harry Potter curse! Verrucas have to stay because their name is highly relevant to Bazuka's tagline.

[lynnheath50716]

I have never heard of water warts, from reading above my daughter also had molluscum but in all my googling I never came across this phrase. They took ages to go but the did eventually I would have tried this though if it had been available

[daisyduke66]

Well I've not heard of them as this name before now. Interesting to note the have now been categorised - is that just a sales pitch I wonder???!. In my experience these type of warts simply run their course and eventually disappear with no ill effects but I'm sure that in severe cases some type of effective, harmless medication may be gratefully received onto the market.

[mummyhappiness]

My DS had these when he was around 7. They are very unsightly but didn't cause him any problem medically. They were on his mid torso and the inside of his arm. I took him to my GP who told me what they were. The GP told me he had contracted them from infected water in the local pool . I was told they would disappear on their own but they could hang around for 18mths or so.
They infact took nearly 3yrs to disappear completely.
If I had been offered any kind of topical treatment, I would have taken it, as my DS found them very embarrassing. The only only treatment I was offered at the time, was to remove each one by freezing ( much the same as a verruca). I thought this was rather traumatic for a 7yr old to go through as there were hundreds of them. So we waited it out !
I have two other DC, which I had to keep towels separate from infected sibling. 3 yrs of this was a trial !
So pleased there is now a topical treatment on offer now.

[GherkinsOnToast]

My daughter has Molluscum under her arm and down her side. We leave them alone mostly but have had the occasional one that becomes huge and I pop it and remove the pus and core and it clears up along with the few surrounding ones.

[like7]

Never heard of them and don't think I've ever seen them in any of my 3 children or any other children. (I worked in a school too)

[Theimpossiblegirl]

Is water warts a new name for Molluscum Contagium? Not a nice name tbh.
Both of my DDs had molluscum, they cleared up naturally. Thet didn't bother them really, but they didn't get them anywhere particularly visible or easily knocked.