Warts are an unsightly condition that many people wish they could treat easily and quickly. This article highlights the types of warts that can be found in humans, and is a review of Wartrol™, a topical wart remover.
What is Wartrol?
Wartrol™ is a liquid topical wart remover, sold as an over-the-counter medication that does not require a prescription.
It can be used “at home” for common warts & plantar warts. It should not be use on genital warts as it may cause irritation. [1]
What are the Ingredients in Wartrol?
Wartrol™ contains ingredients that have been approved by the FDA for use in effectively and safely removing warts at home.
It contains an active ingredient, and other inactive ingredients that serve as vehicles and excipients. [1]
Active Ingredients
- checkSalicylic Acid
Inactive Ingredients
- checkEthyl alcohol,
- checkflexible collodion,
- checkMenthol,
- checkPolysorbate-80,
- checkAscorbic acid,
- checkHydroxypropylcellulose
How Do Wartrol’s Ingredients Help Remove Warts?
Salicylic acid is the first line of treatment for warts, especially when coupled with a quick-drying collodion.
It dissolves the keratin in the horny layer of the skin covering the warts, reducing their thickness.
Using it daily for a period of 3 months results in complete resolution of the warts in 67% of hand warts, 84% for simple plantar warts, and 45% for mosaic plantar warts, which is actually better than other methods such as cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen.
Covering the applied Wartrol™ with plaster may help improve the response as this helps dissolve keratin quicker. [2]
Can Wartrol be Used in Genital Warts?
Salicylic acid is not a line of treatment for genital warts and is not recommended for use on genitals. [3] [4]
Wartrol’s official website (www.wartrol.com) does allude to clients using it for genital warts, and some people claim that they have used it for genital warts with positive consequences. [5]
But we recommend not to use it for genital warts, it might burn as the genital area has the sensitive skin.
What does the FDA say about Wartrol?
The FDA does not approve Wartrol™ as a product, as it has not evaluated whether it complies with its regulations for marketing drugs.
The FDA approves the use of salicylic acid as a topical wart remover with a maximum of 17% in a collodion-like vehicle. [6]
The inactive ingredients menthol, polysorbate-80, and ascorbic acid have also been approved by the FDA for topical use. [This author could not ascertain the approval status of the other two inactive ingredients: ethyl alcohol and hydroxypropylcellulose].
What are the Benefits & Side Effects of Wartrol?
There several benefits to using Wartrol as posed by the official website: www.wartrol.com
- 1It is painless.
- 2It is easy to use, and can be used safely at home.
- 3It comes with a brush applicator that can help localize the application to the wart only.
- 4Its ingredients are FDA approved.
There are, however, some precautions that should be noted while using Wartro.
- Wartrol can only be used externally, and is therefore not suitable for some types of warts such as oral and conjunctival warts.
- If it comes into contact with the eyes it should be flushed with water for 15 minutes.
While using Wartrol, it is possible that it is mistakenly applied to normal skin surrounding the wart. Since both the wart and the surrounding tissue are similar in structure, Wartrol may dissolve the keratin of that normal skin, acting as an abrasion and making it easier for the wart to spread there.
Using a very fine applicator that allows just covering the wart may help mitigate this risk.
Applying petroleum jelly to the surrounding skin before using Wartrol will also prevent it from acting on anything other than the wart.
Wartrol Before and After
The FDA notes that drugs containing salicylic acid may cause irritation when exposed to sunlight. Areas to which Wartrol is applied should be protected from the sun.
Wartrol should not be used on inflamed, irritated, or broken skin, or on moles, birthmarks, or hairy warts. It may take up to 3 months for warts to completely disappear using Wartrol.
If the person suffering from warts also suffers from neuropathy (which is a complication of diabetes) or impaired circulation, then using Wartrol™ on the feet may cause ulcers that could fail to heal.
Wartrol in the available concentration should not be used on the face. Creams with lower concentrations might be better.
- Wartrol is extremely flammable. The vapors from Wartrol should not be inhaled.
Using topical salicylic acid could produce some side effects. They may disappear after a period of use as the body adjusts. They are quite rare, and the mildest of which are slight irritation, stinging, rash, peeling of the skin, or a change in color, usually whitening.
Other more serious side effects could develop such as throat tightness, fainting, severe skin irritation and itching, redness, unusual skin warmness, hives, and swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue.
Medical care should be sought if any of these side effects are observed. Symptoms of salicylic acid overdose include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomachaches, confusion, dizziness, severe drowsiness, irregular breathing, ringing ears, and hearing loss. Persons suffering from these symptoms should seek immediate and emergency medical attention.
Where can you buy wartrol in a store
Often people ask this question – “where can i buy wartrol over the counter?”. No matter whether you are located in UK, Philippines, Canada, South Africa, India or USA.There are lot of confusion about availability of wartrol. In this section we will see how to buy wartrol & discuss the wartrol price range & will see of you can some discount or not.
Wartrol Walmart Availability
Please be informed that, though wartrol is an over-the-counter product, it is not being sold any stores till the time of writing this article. So, possibly you will not able to buy it from any retail store. As of now, wartrol is not available in Walmart stores.
You can only get Wartrol™ online.
A single bottle of Wartrol™ sells for $49.95 on their website, and they have an offer on buying 3 bottles for $99.90, and on buying 5 bottles for $149.85.
Bottom Line: There are many types of warts that can afflict humans. Wartrol is an over the counter wart remover that has been shown to be safe, easy to use, and effective in treating skin warts. But it is a bit pricey than other equivalent over-the-counter products.
Understanding More about Warts
Warts are abnormal growths in the skin or mucous membranes. They are considered benign tumors of the skin and mucosa.
They can transform and become malignant. The cause of warts is a virus known as Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV attacks the epithelium of the skin and mucosa. There are many subtypes of HPV, and each type has a predilection for a certain area of the body.
Warts are contagious, spreading from person to person via skin contact. They can even spread in the same person to various areas of their body through the fingers if they handle the warts and then touch other areas.
Types of Warts
The two main types of warts are cutaneous and ano-genital.
Cutaneous Warts:
These are warts that appear on the skin, and can be predisposed to through several factors.
Predisposing factors to cutaneous warts:
The transmission of warts can occur through direct contact with the wart, or indirect contact, such as a person handling the wart, and then transfer the virus particles through their fingers.
The skin is covered by multiple layers of cells that are called the epithelium, which is in turn covered by a thick layer of dead cell skeletons containing a substance called keratin.
This layer is called the horny layer. At the bottom of these layers (inward towards the body), is a basal layer that constantly regenerates these cells. HPV virus particles need to reach this basal layer in order to cause a wart.
Broken epithelium in the skin through injury or maceration (a softness that occurs in skin due to constant exposure to fluid, such as the pruning of fingers that occurs during bathing ) will introduce the virus to its target, which it otherwise might not have been able to reach.
Due to the above, transmission of HPV is common in the following situations:
- Standing on wet floors (as in swimming pools or shower rooms) causes maceration of the skin, and the hard flooring may cause abrasions.
- Warts on the hand and fingers spread to the skin around the nails in people who habitually bite their nails or children who suck their thumbs, and may also spread to the skin around their mouths.
- Shaving may spread warts over the area exposed to the blades
- People who handle meat, poultry, and fish for a living are constantly exposed to the wetness of these foods and to water, which makes their skin macerated and at risk of HPV infection.
The appearance of warts could be delayed up to 20 months after invasion by the virus.
Presentation of different types of cutaneous warts
Common warts
Common warts present as small, firm bumps that have a rough surface. They can grow up to 1 cm in diameter and there may be several, fusing to form a large mass.
They usually don’t have symptoms, but can be tender on the palmar aspects of fingers, or when they have fissures running through them.
Common warts can grow around the genitals, but only in 1 to 2% of adult cases. They constitute two-thirds of genital warts in children.
Common warts may remain unchanged for months or years, and undergo changes later on.
Periungual warts
These are common warts that are found on the skin surrounding nails.
The risk of infection is increased by nail-biting, and their presence could interfere with nail growth. They are painful if they grow under a nail plate.
Plantar warts
This type of wart appears on the plantar (lower) aspect of the foot, and has the appearance of a sharply defined, round area, with a rough surface, and surrounded by a smooth collar.
Plantar warts mostly appear at pressure points on the foot, and there can sometimes be several warts at once. If several warts grow so close together that they become fused, they are called mosaic plantar warts.
They can commonly be painful, and the pain can be quite severe. Mosaic warts are often painless.
Plantar warts can persist for a variable period of time, resolving after a year or up to several years.
Plane warts (flat warts)
Plane warts are round, smooth, flat, and usually skin-colored. They can grow to about 5mm in diameter, and there can be up to several hundreds of them. They can fuse together and form lines such as those infected by scratching.
Filiform and digitate warts
These warts are more common in males, and appear most commonly on the face, neck, and scalp. Their appearance is filament-like (which is what filiform means)
Huge hyperkeratotic warts
These are very rare warts that may have long horny projections.
Butchers’ warts
As stated above, these warts mostly afflict those frequently handling moist meats. These are slightly larger than common warts and have a high risk of recurrence even if they have been successfully treated.
Pigmented warts
These are have been reported on the soles and palms of Japanese patients.
Epidermoid plantar cysts
Epidermoid cysts are unrelated to warts, but the DNA of HPV has been found in them.
Psoriasis
HPV DNA has also been demonstrated in psoriasis lesions, which could indicate that HPV may be one of the causes of psoriasis, or that skin afflicted with psoriasis is much more permeable to HPV.
Ano-Genital Warts
Predisposing factors to ano-genital warts:
Genital warts are highly infective due to the thinner barrier posed by the mucous membrane as opposed to the skin. In addition to that, warts were found to be more common at the sites most subjected to friction during sexual intercourse, which results in abrasions.
Ano-genital warts are sexually transmitted, but not always. Spread from a genital wart to the anus has been seen in the same patient, which shows that it can also be transmitted by contact or local spread. The DNA of HPV has been demonstrated in patients’ underwear and fingers.
The warts can develop within 2 years of sexual contact.
Presentation of different types of ano-genital warts
Genital warts are soft, pink, elongated, and sometimes are found on a stalk.
They are usually multiple, and can grow more rapidly during pregnancy and infections. They can be either small and flat or large masses, and may be multiple.
They are often without symptoms, but can cause discomfort, a bad odor, discharge, or bleeding.
Oral warts
Genital warts can be sexually transmitted to the mouth, and are common in association with HIV.
Respiratory papillomatosis
Warts in the respiratory system (usually in the larynx) are thought to be contracted in children from a maternal genital infection that is present during delivery. The infection may stay dormant and reactivate years later, which could explain its presence in adults.
Other sites
Sometimes warts can occur in the eyes, nose, and sinuses.
Affiliate disclaimer: Wartly may receive a portion of the revenues if you make a purchase using one of the links above.
References:[01] http://wartrol.com/[02] Griffiths CEM, Barker J, Bleiker T, Chalmers R, Creamer D. Rook’s Textbook of Dermatology. Vol 2. 9th ed. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell; 2016; 25.51.[03] Griffiths CEM, Barker J, Bleiker T, Chalmers R, Creamer D. Rook’s Textbook of Dermatology. Vol 2. 9th ed. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell; 2016; 25.58.[04] https://www.drugs.com/otc/110664/wartrol-wart-remover.html[05] https://forums.webmd.com/3/sexual-conditions-and-stds-exchange/forum/159[06] https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=358.110&SearchTerm=salicylic