Content

• Steps
• Advice

Warts are benign (non-carcinogenic) skin growth that can appear anywhere on the body, most commonly on the face, hands, feet, and genitals. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) warts infect the top layer of skin through small cuts and abrasions. Warts are contagious and can be spread by contact, especially between people with weak immune systems. Warts are difficult to get rid of, but there are many home remedies that can help.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Treating warts at home

1. 

   Exfoliate with a pumice stone. The easiest and cheapest way to get rid of warts is to exfoliate with a pumice stone. Pumice stone is naturally abrasive and can help scrape or wear away warts, especially warts under the feet that form thick lumps.
   • Pumice stone is an economical way to get rid of warts from the surface of your skin, but be aware that the wart has "roots" under the skin's surface. Therefore, you should use a pumice stone to sharpen most of the wart, then apply a compound that helps destroy the "root", while preventing the wart from returning.
   • Before using a pumice stone, you need to soak the area of ​​the wart (especially the wart under the feet that has a thick coating on the outside) in warm water for 15 minutes to soften.
2. Be careful when using a pumice stone on delicate and thin areas like the penis and labia. It is preferable to use a cover with abrasive coating for genital warts.
   • People with diabetes or peripheral neuropathy should not use pumice stones on their hands or feet because their senses are less sensitive and can damage surrounding tissue.

3. 

   
   
   Apply salicylic acid. Applying an over-the-counter salicylic acid (available at drug stores) is another way to remove the flesh of the wart that appears on the skin's surface. Salicylic acid has strong keratolytic properties, which means that it dissolves keratin (protein) on the surface of the wart and the outer hardening (if present). Be patient as it can take several weeks to remove large warts with salicylic acid.
   • Horns can destroy / irritate healthy skin, so be careful when applying liquid salicylic acid, gels, ointments, or patches. Before using salicylic acid (up to 2 times a day), you should soak the area of ​​the wart and use a pumice stone (or abrasive-coated board) to soften it to help it absorb the wart "roots" better.
   • Salicylic acid medicine may contain dichloroacetic (or trichloroacetic) acid, which helps burn off visible wart. However, be careful not to apply it to the surrounding healthy skin.
   • To treat most warts, you should use a 17% salicylic acid solution or 15% salicylic acid patch.
   • The warts are not considered a medical problem and do not require treatment, especially if they are not painful. Sometimes, the warts can go away on their own.

4. 

   
   
   Try cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is the process of freezing and is often used by family doctors and dermatologists to remove warts.If desired, you can purchase over-the-counter nitrogen gas products that are available in liquid or aerosol form (like Compound W Freeze Off, Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away) for home use. Using liquefied nitrogen gas will create blisters around the wart, which then cause both the blister and the wart to fall off after about a week. It is necessary to apply several times to prevent the wart from returning. For more effective cryotherapy, use a pumice stone or similar object to remove the wart before using the nitrogen gas product.
   • Painless cryotherapy. This therapy is often used by a doctor (along with a strong prescription) on young children to get rid of warts and other benign skin conditions.
   • Liquefied nitrogen may cause pale scarring or brown spots on the skin of people with darker skin. So, be careful when applying it to the wart.
   • Ice packs are a type of cryotherapy used for sprains and muscle strains. However, do not use an ice pack to treat the warts, as this will be ineffective and can cause cold burns.

5. 

   
   
   Wrap the wart with duct tape. Although the mechanism has not been determined yet, many reports (and some studies) have suggested that applying duct tape regularly to common warts and leg warts is an effective method. In a 2002 study, it was found that 85% of people using duct tape cured their warts within 28 days, which was more effective than cryotherapy. You can wrap the wart with silver tape. Then remove the tape, use a pumice stone to scrape off the dead tissue and see if the wart recurs. You may have to repeat the process several times. However, since it is inexpensive, easy to apply and low risk, this method is well worth a try.
   • Apply rubbing alcohol to clean your skin and secure a piece of duct tape on the wart. Leave on for 24 hours and replace with a new piece of tape. Repeat the procedure for one week (possibly 6 weeks if needed). Always grind the wart with a pumice stone and rub alcohol before applying the tape.
   • Other reports have shown that other non-porous tapes such as electrical tape are just as effective as conventional tape for treating common warts and warts on the feet.
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Part 2 of 2: Using natural ingredients

1. 

   Apply apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar (made from fermented apples) has many health benefits, including treating warts of all kinds. Apple cider vinegar contains citric acid and a large amount of acetic acid with antiviral properties (kills HPV and other viruses). However, citric acid and acetic acid can also stimulate healthy tissue, so use caution. You can soak a cotton ball in vinegar and apply it to the wart and cover with a bandage overnight. Change to a new cotton pad and bandage the next day. Significant changes may take a few days.
   • Applying apple cider vinegar can cause mild burns or swelling in the skin around the wart, but this side effect usually goes away quickly. About a week after applying apple cider vinegar, the wart will darken and fall off. Young skin will soon regrow.
   • White vinegar also contains acetic acid, but it doesn't have the same effect as apple cider vinegar on warts. Currently, research is still underway to determine the cause.

2. 

   Try garlic extract. Since ancient times, garlic has been an ingredient used to treat many health problems. It was found that garlic's strong antibacterial abilities are due to the chemical Allicin that kills many types of microorganisms, including viruses such as HPV. You can apply raw garlic, pureed garlic, or garlic extract (purchased at stores) to the wart several times a day for 1-2 weeks. A band-aid should be wrapped around to fix it and change to a new bandage when necessary. Garlic should be used at night before going to bed so that Allicin can penetrate deep into the "roots" of the wart.
   • In a 2005 study, it was found that garlic chloroform extract completely cured the wart after a few weeks of use and the warts did not recur for up to 4 months.
   • Although less effective, you can take a purified garlic capsule to kill the HPV virus from the bloodstream.

3. 

   Try using juniper oil (Thuja). Conifer oil is derived from the leaves and roots of the Western Red Cedars plant. This is a traditional remedy in Indian Medicine used to treat many diseases and health problems thanks to its strong antiviral properties. It is also a popular herbal and homeopathic remedy for warts of all kinds. It contains compounds that stimulate certain cells in the immune system to detect and destroy viruses or infected cells. This effect is especially helpful in destroying the HPV virus and removing the warts. Apply juniper oil directly to the wart, let it soak for a few minutes, then cover with a bandage. Repeat this procedure twice daily for several weeks. However, juniper oil is quite powerful and can irritate sensitive skin, so care should be taken when applying it to genital warts.
   • Dilute conifer oil with a little mineral oil or cod liver oil if you want to apply it on sensitive skin.
   • Conifer oil is often recommended for difficult to treat warts, and neither method is effective. For stubborn warts, you'll see significant results after 1-2 months if you apply juniper oil daily.
   • It is also available in homeopathic form, which can be latched on (and waited for it to dissolve) several times a day. The drug is small, tasteless and contains only a small amount of juniper oil extract but is also very effective in some cases.

4. 

   Use tea tree oil. Applying tea tree oil (tea tree extract) to wart is just as effective as apple cider vinegar, garlic extract, and conifer oil. Tea tree oil has strong antibacterial properties that help kill viruses like the HPV virus. However, essential oils do not penetrate tissue as well as the herbs mentioned above. Tea tree oil also has an immune boosting effect, which in turn helps prevent re-infection with the HPV virus. You can place 2-3 drops of the essential oil on the wart twice daily for at least 3-4 weeks and watch for the oil's effects. For added effectiveness, use a pumice stone or an exfoliating agent to scrape off the flesh of the wart.
   • Tea tree oil is a famous antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory ingredient since ancient times in Australia and New Zealand and is now becoming more and more popular in North America and other countries.
   • Tea tree oil can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions in particularly sensitive people. However, this is very rare.
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Advice

• Avoid direct contact with the warts to avoid the risk of spreading to other parts of the body.
• Don't use the pumice stone that has been sharpened with the wart to sharpen healthy skin and nails.
• Wash your hands after touching the wart (yours and that of others).