Remove a Wart, Burn Down Your House?
January 20th, 2014 // 2:09 pm @ jmpickett
FDA reported last week that more than a dozen US consumers have started fires in their homes with a wart removal product. The products work by freezing the warts, but they contain a mix of dimethyl ether and propane. The warning labels note that they should not be kept near fire or other heat sources.
But even with the warning label, 14 users reported firs and 10 said they had hurt themselves with burns. In most of the cases, the fires seem to happen when the products are being released from the pressured canisters.
In three of the cases, there was a candle nearby but in the rest of them, there was no direct heat source. This is a major concern for FDA because many people may not understand that common household appliance, such as a curling iron, may be hot enough to ignite the product.
FDA did not state which of the wart removal products had caused the problems. But the top products in the market are Dr. Scholl’s Freeze Away Wart Remover, Compound W Freeze Off and Wartner Cryogenic Wart Removal System.
FDA noted that these products are generally safe and can be effective, but you do not want to use one if you are smoking a cigarette or are near a heat source.
FDA stated that many warts will eventually disappear, and they recommended waiting to see if they go away on their own. This is especially a good idea in children.
