Can you use too much Compound W?

Author: Carlie Borer Sr.  |  Last update: Friday, August 8, 2025

Taking more than your recommended dose will not make this medicine more effective, and may cause serious side effects. Do not take by mouth. Topical medicine is for use only on the skin. Ask your doctor before using Compound W if the condition covers a large area of the body.

Can you use too much wart remover?

Use this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not use more of it, do not use it more often, and do not use it for a longer time than recommended on the label, unless otherwise directed by your doctor. To do so may increase the chance of absorption through the skin and the chance of salicylic acid poisoning.

What happens if you use too much salicylic acid?

There can always be too much of a good thing and salicylic acid is no different. The main negative side effect when overused is it can irritate and cause excess dryness. If you have sensitive skin, choose your formula carefully as some products contain denatured alcohol, which can be additionally drying.

How often can you use Compound W?

Check your product package and follow the directions carefully. You may cover the area loosely with a bandage. Repeat this procedure 1 to 2 times daily for up to 2 weeks for corns and calluses and 12 weeks for warts or as directed by your doctor.

Can I use 40% salicylic acid on my face?

The salicylic acid is slowly and painlessly absorbed into the skin causing peeling of the skin cells that contain the wart virus. This is a very good way of getting rid of warts, but it should never be used to treat warts on the face, neck and genitals.

How To Remove Skin Tags And Warts Overnight

What is the strongest wart remover?

Cryotherapy. Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy a wart. Research has shown cryotherapy effectively removes warts in 50–70% of cases after 3–4 treatments. Cryotherapy may remove warts more quickly than salicylic acid.

How do I know when a plantar wart is completely killed?

One needs to keep going down until just below the level of the surrounding skin to eradicate a wart completely. Stop when the base of the wart looks exactly like normal skin (i.e. no black dots or 'graininess). If they become sore or bleed a little just leave off the treatment and carry on the following night.

What happens if you use Compound W on not a wart?

If you mistakenly apply Compound W Freeze Off® Advanced on the conditions that are not warts, it may cause serious burns and permanent scarring of the skin.

How to tell if salicylic acid is working on warts?

Signs that treatment is effective

Wart medications, such as salicylic acid, gradually peel away layers of a wart until it reaches the same level as the skin. People may notice the wart becoming flatter over time.

How long does it take for a wart to fall off with Compound W?

Comfort pads (not included) can be used to protect the tender plantar wart area after treatment has been completed. Apply adhesive side of pad to skin with hole directly over the small tender spot. The wart will fall off within 10-14 days. If not, repeat steps 2, 3 and 4.

What does overuse of salicylic acid look like?

Not only will it be too irritating on the skin, but it'll also strip the skin barrier of the essential oil and water. This will have a knock-on effect as your skin will feel it needs to produce more sebum which can result in a flare-up of breakouts and spots.

How long to leave salicylic acid on a wart?

Apply salicylic acid to the wart when you go to bed. Cover the area with a bandage or sock, and wash off the medicine in the morning. Avoid getting salicylic acid on your unaffected skin.

What are the side effects of Compound W?

Compound W side effects
  • Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, or tongue.
  • Skin sores or ulcers.
  • Fainting.
  • Severe skin redness, peeling, or irritation.
  • Confusion, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, ringing in your ears, severe tiredness.

Can I use wart remover two days in a row?

According to the official instructions, you should keep applying Compound W Liquid one or two times per day until the wart is removed for up to 12 weeks.

Is it bad to pull a wart off?

Absolutely not. Filing, ripping, picking, burning, or cutting a wart on your own will most often make the presence of warts even worse on the foot and potentially on other skin areas of the body. This can result in infection or further spreading of the warts. The wart will either get larger or more numerous.

Can you freeze a wart too often?

If a wart or part of it is still there two weeks after treatment, you may then safely treat it again. Do not treat each wart with Compound W Freeze Off® more than three times in total. Consult your doctor if three treatments have not led to improvement.

Why does wart turn white with Compound W?

The acid will turn the wart into dead skin (it will turn white).

Is apple cider vinegar or salicylic acid better for warts?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a popular home remedy for a number of conditions, including warts. Some people claim that the acid in the vinegar works in a similar way to salicylic acid. However, there is no firm evidence to suggest that ACV works for this purpose.

What should a wart look like when it is dying?

Its colour gradually changes from flesh-coloured to black or dark brown; It turns white, if it has been treated with liquid nitrogen or a salicylic-acid solution. It becomes harder and rougher; It is covered with blackish pinpoints, which are actually coagulated blood vessels.

Should I peel off dead skin from Compound W?

Remove in the morning. Use medium grade sand paper to debride/remove dead skin off and then throw away. Do not use a nail emery board/fingernail file/pumice stone. The wart virus will remain on the emery board or stone and could be spread to other parts of the body.

Why does duct tape work on warts?

“Covering warts with duct tape makes the skin wet, pale and wrinkly, which isn't an ideal environment for a wart,” she explains. She also notes that duct tape is such a strong adhesive that — when you pull it off — you're likely to remove a layer of the wart along with it.

Can you pull out a plantar wart?

Pulling out a plantar wart yourself is extremely painful, and it's unlikely that you'll get all of it. This means it's more likely to grow back. Pulling out plantar warts with tweezers can also possibly injure healthy skin tissue and lead to a serious infection.

Do black dots mean a wart is dying?

This is not true. The black or red-brown dots, that are sometimes visible in the wart, are smothered capillaries (the tiny blood vessels that turn fingertips back to pink after pressure is applied).

How long does it take for a wart to fall off with salicylic acid?

Salicylic acid treatments – with the use of salicylic acid applied as pads, gels, or other methods, patients can expect it to take anywhere from four to six weeks to fully address a wart. Laser surgery – laser surgery is used to provide heat to the wart and cause the tissues to die.

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