Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

5yr Old With Facial Warts :(

55 replies

NannyPlumIsMyMum · 01/07/2013 22:33

I am so stressed with this Hmm.
My DD7 has had warts on her fingers and knees for about 4 yrs now.

We have tried treating them with salicylic acid and duct tape to no avail - in fact they are spreading across to her other knee and down her legs.Hmm

Our DS5 has had a wart on his chin since the age of 2.
He saw a dermatologist last year who prescribed a low dose acne cream to try and irritate the skin into kick starting the immune system.

But again to no avail - DS's have spread all over his chin - loads of tiny ones that are getting bigger every day.

He also had them developing under his eye .

I am feeling so stressed by this because freezing them or using salicylic acid for our DS is not an option due to the risk of scarring.

Both our DS and DD are now getting bullied because of the warts.

Has anybody at all had success with facial warts in children?

I'm so frightened of it affecting their self esteem.

OP posts:
Original poster
NannyPlumIsMyMum · 02/07/2013 07:41

Is there anybody that can give me hope ? Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
NannyPlumIsMyMum · 02/07/2013 08:45

Please .. Anybody ? Smile

OP posts:
toosoppyforwords · 02/07/2013 12:58

sorry, no direct experience of facial warts but is it possible to actually have them surgically removed, rather than frozen off? My nephew had lots of large moles on his chin and under his nose and he had these removed surgically with little to no scarring at all. (I know moles are not the same)
What does their GP suggest/recommend? Can they have any blood tests at all to determine whether they have the right immunity or whether something is missing? Ultimately as they are viral removing them wont stop them recurring so you need to check the immune system can fight them off
Can you see a specialist dermatologist?
Hopefully someone else will have some suggestions too.

IfUSeekAmy · 02/07/2013 13:08

My DD5 has these on her nose too. Started off with just a few but I can see some more coming. Luckily there are flesh coloured and flat so not very noticeable. I asked GP but she said to leave them alone and they should go so I hope they do because it worries me incase they get worse. She also has a few on her hands. Anyway, on Embarrassing Bodies once, there was a girl whose verrucas were really bad and she lacked something in her immune system that could fight the virus. Think they found out from blood tests but not sure. They managed to help her though. I have looked it up a lot online and it seems that some people fight the virus and some don't and their immune system will hopefully kick in and do something about it. I had bad warts when I was younger and then they just went on their own over time. My daughter's came up when she started reception and I think it was because she was so tired and run down so they took hold. I've heard that Thuja herbal remedy can help sometimes. I hope you can find some good advice from somewhere. It's heartbreaking to see them struggle with it.

Branleuse · 02/07/2013 13:10

i was just thinking of that episode of EB too.

I hope everything is ok

Original poster
NannyPlumIsMyMum · 02/07/2013 14:05

Thankyou so much lovely ladies Smile.

They both have had blood tests to check their immunity - they are within normal range.

They won't surgically remove them due to risk of scarring.

I'm so desperate iv even tried the old fashioned thing of rubbing raw potato on DS face when he is asleepConfused.

Thankyou for your replies , really appreciate it.

OP posts:
VitoCorleone · 02/07/2013 14:09

Have you tried that Bazuka stuff? Dont know if you can use it on the face, but i had a wart on my finger and that stuff got rid of it within 2-3 days

minmooch · 02/07/2013 20:54

I had them all over my hands as a child. My grandmother bought them off me and they disappeared the next day. Apparently this is an old wives tale but worked for me. The truth seems to lie in the fact that warts have a shelf life and this is different for each person. But they will die off eventually. My grandmother must have bought mine just as they came to the end of their time. I think I had mi e for about 18 months.

Original poster
NannyPlumIsMyMum · 02/07/2013 23:17

Thankyou ladies .

Vito I can't use Bazuka on DSs face, but i will give it a go with DD on her fingers and knees.

Kids can just be soo cruel in the playground .

OP posts:
Nerfmother · 02/07/2013 23:24

Dd had several on her chin and we paid privately to see someone who froze them. I was desperate and she was really good. They went very quickly.

Original poster
NannyPlumIsMyMum · 03/07/2013 08:41

That's really helpful Nerfmother- how old was your DD?

OP posts:
Tuckshop · 03/07/2013 11:38

Dd was about 4 or 5 I think when she had one. I'd left it to see if it went of its own accord but it just got bigger and she became self conscious of it. It was removed at the gp surgery. She didn't even flinch and there's no scarring.

Tuckshop · 03/07/2013 11:40

Hmm I think it might have been a skin tag now I think about it.

Nerfmother · 03/07/2013 17:37

Hi, she was three or four and we saw a fantastic dermatologist privately through bupa. The NHS wouldn't touch facial or other warts on children, not sure if that changed? They have never come back.

Original poster
NannyPlumIsMyMum · 04/07/2013 09:18

Nerf mother will have a look around privately.
Your right the nhs won't touch them at all Sad.

OP posts:
IfUSeekAmy · 04/07/2013 10:19

That's good to know nerfmother thanks. I would definitely pay privately for my dd to have them removed if they get worse. Good Luck nannyplum!

Sn0wylady · 04/07/2013 11:04

nannyplum my 7 yr old daughter is currently being treated for facial filiform warts (www.filiformwart.com/). It has been a real struggle but we're finally getting somewhere. Will post further detail later today if that's helpful.

Original poster
NannyPlumIsMyMum · 05/07/2013 00:15

Snowy lady would love to hear from you....Smile
I have been googling tonight private clinics that treat them with lasers .. I really don't know if this would be a good move or not ...

OP posts:
Sn0wylady · 05/07/2013 10:06

Hi nannyplum - sorry not to have gotten back to you yesterday. Long post...

My daughter has had warts since she was 3. They started on her feet and hands and then she had an outbreak of a different type around her nose which over time have spread and grown. They are filiform warts - long and frond-like - and she was terribly teased at school and regularly asked about them by adults and children. It was really beginning to affect her confidence and she started to avoid situations where she might meet new children. It took a long time to get a referral from our GP practice - I was told by several GPs that nothing could be done and as they were caused by a virus would eventually go away. However, to cut a long story short, we were finally referred to a GP with a specialism in dermatology. She started by freezing them, but the treatment was too painful. Now my daughter is being treated on a fortnightly basis with the liquid nitrogen applied with forceps (rather than sprayed). It is still painful (but less so), easier to target the warts and avoid the surrounding healthy skin. A couple of the smaller ones have already dropped off and the larger ones have significantly reduced in size. We're hopeful that this approach will eventually get rid of them completely, but are set to be referred for laser treatment (through the NHS I understand) as a next option. There is a possibility of scarring though, so I'm keeping everything crossed that the liquid nitrogen works.

I believe your children have a different type of wart, but wonder whether it might be worth mentioning this approach? I do hope that's helpful and would be really interested to hear how you get on.

Original poster
NannyPlumIsMyMum · 06/07/2013 00:08

Snowy lady thankyou so so much.
You're an angel.
I had been thinking about for laser privately but maybe I should talk to somebody about the liquid nitrogen - would you mind pm ing me whereabouts you are so that I can try to find a name of who you saw?

Nerf mother has been really helpful and given me her consultant details so it would be a relief to have another name to fall back on if needed.

I am so so glad the treatment is working for your daughter. Smile

OP posts:
Sn0wylady · 06/07/2013 12:49

No problem, will do. Smile

Branleuse · 06/07/2013 14:10

at the risk of being flamed. Might be worth speaking to a homeopath.

my ds' molloscum warts (and 2 of my freinds kids warts) cleared up withn a couple pf days of seeing a homeopath and starting the right treatment

Nerfmother · 06/07/2013 14:20

Are they definitely warts and not molluscum? I would try to come up with the cash to pay to see someone privately for his tbh, I think the NHS is brilliant for actual illness and accident but not so much for things that aren't physically harmful.

Percephone · 06/07/2013 16:29

I had one of those filiform warts on my nose when I was about 14. My GP froze it off with liquid nitrogen. It never came back and didn't leave a scar.

IfUSeekAmy · 06/07/2013 19:21

I wondered if my daughters ones are molluscum. The gp didn't seen to think so but here look really similar. She has a few on her top lip now too but luckily they are teeny tiny. If they stay as they are then I will leave them, I just worry that they will spread. branleuse can I ask, do you know what stuff the homeopath used?

Swipe left for the next trending thread