Salactol

Salactol is a syrupy solution used for warts and verrucas, that gets rid of them quickly and effectively. It’s often called wart paint, because you paint it straight onto the affected skin. It sheds the outer layer of skin and gets rid of the infection, leaving you with clear and healthy skin.

Warts and verrucas are skin conditions both caused by the same virus, so they can be treated the same way. The main difference is that verrucas only appear on the feet, while warts can show up anywhere. So no matter which you have, Salactol can help.

How does Salactol work?

There are two active ingredients in Salactol, salicylic acid and lactic acid. The salicylic acid is a type of treatment for warts and verrucas known as a keratolytic. This means it works in two ways to get rid of the warts or verrucas. It removes the outer layer of skin where the virus lives by softening it, so it can shed more easily. The dead, infected skin cells also bind easily to the Salactol, so they are easily removed.

It kills off the virus causing the warts and verrucas, so the skin doesn’t get reinfected. The lactic acid in Salactol helps dissolve the dead skin cells infected with the wart virus, by working as an exfoliant. Lactic acid also makes the salicylic acid work more effectively.

What doses of Salactol are there?

There’s only one dose of Salactol. It comes as a 10ml bottle which has 16.7% of salicylic acid and 16.7% of lactic acid. You apply it once a day, usually in the evening. You should put just enough Salactol onto the wart or verruca to cover it. The applicator is specially designed to release just a few drops, as needed.

If this dose isn’t working for you, remember it could take a few weeks to see improvements if your wart or verruca infection is advanced. If it’s been nearly twelve weeks, you may want to go back to your clinician. You can log into your account and message us if you’ve ordered through Treated.

Always follow your clinician’s advice on how to use Salactol.

• Soak the area with the wart or verruca in warm water for two to three minutes before you use Salactol.
• Dry the area. Use your own towel if you have a verruca or wart, so you don’t risk spreading it.
• Gently rub off any hard skin with a pumice stone or nail file covered in sandpaper. Remember not to share this if you have a wart or verruca.
• Unscrew the cap of the Salactol bottle.
• The inside of the cap should contain an applicator. Paint the wart or verruca with a few drops of Salactol. Apply it straight to the top of the wart or verruca, being careful not to spread it to the surrounding skin.
• Leave it to soak into the skin. If the verruca is on the foot, cover it with a plaster to stop it from spreading. Otherwise, it should be fine to leave it uncovered.
• Repeat this process once a day until your treatment is over.

How long you need to use Salactol for will depend on the size of the wart or verruca. Some warts or verrucas will disappear very quickly, while others may take longer. Don’t stop using Salactol until the wart or verruca is completely healed.

Generally, warts and verrucas should be completely gone after twelve weeks of treatment. So you may want to go back to your clinician for more advice if it’s been that long and you haven’t seen an improvement.

What should I do if I make a mistake while using Salactol?

Only apply Salactol on skin that’s infected with warts or verrucas. It’s not meant for healthy skin, and may irritate it. If you do accidentally paint Salactol onto normal skin, wash it off with clean water. If the irritation carries on, you might want to talk to your clinician.

Keep Salactol away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Don’t apply it to moles or birthmarks. Wash it off thoroughly if you accidentally get some there by accident. Try not to get it on your clothes, as you may damage them. You can try covering the area around where you’re applying Salactol to avoid spilling any.

The collodion in Salactol is very flammable. Make sure to keep the liquid away from open flames. Keep the skin that’s been in contact with Salactol away from flames for a while after using it. Don’t worry if you forget to use Salactol occasionally. Just keep using it as normal when you remember.