Home Remedies To Help Get Rid Of Those Stubborn Warts : The Hearty Soul

Warts aren’t fun to have around. They are completely harmless but can also be annoying, taking what seems like forever to go away on their own.

Caused by the viruses in the human papillomavirus or HPV family (there are over 70 different strains!), warts are quite common especially with kids 1 in 3 children are estimated to have warts but they are only found in 3 to 5 percent of adults. Since it is a virus, it can spread; so it’s important to know that if you have a wart, touching or scratching it can cause it to spread to other parts of your body. The common areas they grow are the knuckles, fingers, elbows, knees and, any other area with broken skin.

Warts usually go away on their own, some will take a few weeks others can last up to two years. If you don’t want to wait around for it to go away on its own you can get it removed. A lot of the medical treatments offered can cause blistering and can be hard on the skin, but there are some home remedies you can use to help them go away naturally. (1)

Types of Warts and What They Mean

1. Common Warts: flesh colored and small in size, common warts are found most often on the back of hands, fingers, and feet. They normally feel rough and form hard bumps on the skin. They typically form where the skin has been broken making it easier for the virus to enter. (5)

2.Plane Warts: these warts are round, flat and smooth. They tend to be yellowish, brownish or skin toned growing in areas that are often exposed to skin. Typically growing in larger numbers (between 20-100) these warts are most likely to disappear without treatment.

3.Flat Warts: most common in teens and children the flat wart is smoother, flatter and smaller than other warts. It usually grows on the face but can also appear on the legs, especially among females. (2)

You can receive wart treatment such as cryotherapy where nitrogen is sprayed onto the wart destroying the cells, a blister develops but it eventually scabs and falls off a week later. Luckily, there are a lot of less invasive natural solutions that can help remove warts!

8 Easy Wart Removal Home Remedies

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a lot of benefits. This remedy doesn’t kill the virus that causes the wart but the acidity of the vinegar helps to get rid of the physical wart. Use a cotton ball and soak it in the apple cider vinegar squeezing out any excess liquid. Apply it directly to the wart before going to bed, use tape or a bandage to hold it in place. If the wart isn’t too sore the next morning apply again leaving it on during the day. The wart should die and fall off after 1-2 weeks

2. Baking Soda

The antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties of baking soda are what make it a great wart killer! Baking soda is another home remedy that has a lot of benefits for both your body and your house To remove the wart mix a teaspoon of vinegar with enough baking soda to make a thick paste. Dab the paste onto the wart twice a day until it has fallen off.

3. Banana Peel

This remedy is more acecdotal than anything since there is little scientific evidence that it works. Its thought that either the potassium or enzymes in banna peel may help with warts, however this is based on self reported instances. It’s harmless to try, so if you want to give it a go, why not! Twice a day, scrape the inside of the banana peel to collect the “white mush”, then apply it to the wart. Continue the process until the wart is gone. 

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C may help inhibit the virus causing some warts to grow. Crush a vitamin C tablet and mix it with enough lemon juice to create a paste, the lemon juice helps give the vitamin C an extra boost. Apply the paste to the wart and cover with a bandage, repeat daily until the wart is gone.

5. Castor Oil

Castor oil is very effective when treating warts especially on the face and hands, it’s the main component is an antimicrobial with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Apply castor oil to the wart around three times a day and also tape a soaked cotton ball to the area before bed. After a few days, the wart will darken and gradually fall off.

6. Garlic

Crush up a clove of garlic and secure it on the wart using a bandage. Wait twenty minutes before removing the clove and rinse the area, do this twice a day for a week. Taking garlic capsules three times a day should also have a similar effect. The antiviral and antibacterial properties in garlic not only help remove the wart but fight the virus causing it. It really is a superfood! (3)

7. Milkweed

Milkweed is pretty common, it’s probably in your backyard right now! It is toxic to eat but is safe to apply topically, the enzymes in the sap can help to break down the wart. Use a pumice stone on your wart to carefully slough off the top layer of skin to make the treatment more effective. Break off the plant so you are able to extract the milkweed sap, it should look like milk. Cover the wart with the sap reapplying if needed. If any irritation or redness occurs wash the milkweed off immediately!

8. Tea Tree Oil

This process will take anywhere between one and four weeks. Wash your hands and the area around the wart, pat dry and apply a drop of pure tea tree oil. Place a bandage over the area and leave it on overnight. Afterward remove the bandage, clean the area and repeat the process until the wart is gone. Tea Tree oil works wonders to remove warts because it is an antiviral and an antiseptic that fights against the virus. It also helps with any redness or inflammation in the area. (4)

Conclusion

Warts can be hard to treat. Some methods may not work as well as others and it usually takes some time for the wart to dry up and go away. They are usually harmless but it is always a good idea to check up with your doctor before beginning treatment. They can advise you on what is safe for you and your body.