Remove Warts With Natural Remedies

Warts are small, usually painless growths on the skin caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. They usually affect just one part of the body - the hands, the feet, or the face - without spreading to other areas. Although they are generally harmless, warts can be embarrassing, itchy and unpleasant.

There are many commercial solutions for treating warts, ranging from home cryotherapy kits to salicylic acid but they could be expensive and some make the wart appear even uglier and more conspicuous than the untreated wart. Before you buy a wart removal product, try treating them with some natural remedies which you can find at home.

But before you start, have in mind that getting rid of warts may take quite some time. Warts can appear and disappear without a cause or may disappear without treatment. In any case, whether you choose a commercial or natural treatment, be patient and prepare yourself for numerous daily sessions over weeks or months. Before each treatment it is a good idea to prepare the affected area by soaking it in warm water to soften the rough surface. Don't forget to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Photo: Charles Williams

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has proved to have great effect in removing common warts and flat warts because the acid it contains soaks into the skin and makes the surface layer, with the wart and virus, to peel off.

Before going to sleep place a piece of cotton soaked in vinegar on the wart. Secure the cotton with a band-aid and take it off in the morning. Repeat each night until the wart disappears. It is important to keep treating the area until the core is gone since if it remains the wart will grow back.

Another method that will act more gently on the surrounding skin is to mix warm water with a cup of vinegar and soak the affected area for 20 minutes a day until the wart disappears.

Black tea

The acidity of the tannin in tea is what helps treat the warts. It can be just as effective in removing warts as various over the counter wart removers.

Soak a used bag of black tea in warm water and then press it directly on the wart for 20 to 30 minutes. Afterwards let the skin dry naturally. Make sure you dispose of the tea bag after using it on the wart. Repeat the procedure three times a day for a few days and the wart will eventually disappear completely.

Green Tea

The antioxidants in green tea boost your immune system thus helping you get rid of warts and prevent them from appearing. How to apply? Just drink green tea regularly. The recommended dosage to boost immunity is 2500 to 500 mg daily.

Bananas

The high potassium level in bananas helps kill warts. The potassium is believed to have a caustic effect during long periods of contact with the skin. In other words, the potassium is burning away the wart, layer by layer, without damaging healthy skin or causing scars.

During the treatment, it is recommended to keep the wart covered with a clean dry bandage during the day. The idea is to deprive the skin of moisture, because moisture helps the virus to multiply. If the bandage gets wet, remove it as soon as possible and replace it if you can.

Rub the inside of a little piece of a banana peel on the affected area each night and you will see results within one to two weeks. It is important to use fresh banana peels each day and to have bananas that are just turning from green to yellow, because the active healing compounds degrade with age.

Or you can secure the inner side of the peel to the wart with an adhesive bandage, so as to leave the peel work overnight. Wash the treated area with soap and warm water in the morning and allow the wart to air dry. Then apply a clean bandage to the wart during the day. Since the virus that causes warts thrives in moist environments, take care to change the bandage if it gets wet.

Remove the dark parts of the damaged wart daily with nail trimmers. You must expose the fresh, undamaged wart root to the peel to enhance the treatment. You will begin to see progress in about 4 days and hopefully your wart will disappear in about 2 weeks.

Garlic

The powerful antibacterial and antiseptic properties of garlic helps remove warts naturally and painlessly. By treating the wart with garlic, you will infuse it with the oil of the garlic, which is a also antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal.

Slice a fresh garlic clove in half and apply it onto the wart, taking care to treat only the wart itself and not the surrounding skin. Discard the garlic. Then place a bandage over the wart and leave it overnight. In the morning, remove the bandage and carefully wash the area surrounding the wart. Repeat every day. This can take a few weeks, but eventually, the wart will begin to turn black before falling off.

Onions

Onions are used for particularly stubborn warts. Apply a little fresh onion juice and allow it to dry on the wart. Do not rinse it off but let it get washed off naturally when you go for a shower.

In order to gently stimulate the area, you can apply a little fresh onion juice on a cotton bud and slowly massage the juice into the wart. This is one of the most effective home remedies for warts on the hands and feet. It is not advisable to use this treatment for warts on the face.

Do you know other natural methods to get rid of warts?