Warts are simply overgrowths on the body. Warts are caused by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Warts are usually harmless but ugly and can spread throughout the body. Warts are usually found on the hands, arms, knees, and face. For generations, people have treated warts at home with cost-effective and harmless home remedies. To cure warts quickly, effectively and easily, start with Step 1 below.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Using Home Remedies
Step 1. Make a paste of baking soda and castor oil
Castor oil contains chemicals that irritate warts and baking soda dries out the warts. Here's how:
- Mix baking soda with castor oil to make an even paste. Apply this paste on the wart and cover it with a plaster overnight. Remove the bandage in the morning, and keep repeating this process until the wart is gone.
- You can also dissolve baking soda in water, and soak the warty area in it. Allow the area to dry on its own, without removing any remaining baking soda. Do this until the wart is gone. This method is especially useful for warts on the hands or feet.
- In the case of facial or genital warts, you can apply castor oil directly on the wart twice a day for positive results. Use a cotton swab soaked in castor oil to make it easier.
Step 2. Try apple cider vinegar
This liquid contains acetic acid and citric acid which sheds warts. Dip a cotton ball or a small piece of cotton cloth in a spoonful of apple cider vinegar. Place the cotton/cotton cloth on the wart and wrap a plaster or cloth around it. Do this every day at night.
- It may cause pain or a burning sensation or mild swelling at first so stop treatment if it increases. After about a week, the wart will mature, turn black, and then peel off. Let the wart peel off on its own. The new skin will be visible immediately.
- If you have warts on your face, you can wash your face with vinegar mixed with water and carefully apply vinegar only on the warts. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse.
Step 3. Try duct tape
In a recent study, 85% of patients using adhesive tape recovered from warts within 28 days. On the other hand, only 60% of patients undergoing cryotherapy show positive results, and some even require two cryotherapy sessions. This method may not always be effective, but it's worth a try. Here's how:
- Apply adhesive tape to the wart, so that there are at least four layers of adhesive tape on the wart. It should be tight enough to block and compress the wart, but make sure the tape doesn't block blood flow.
- Leave the adhesive tape on for 6 days. On the sixth day, remove the adhesive tape, soak the warty area in water and rub it with a pumice stone.
- Put back the new adhesive tape and leave it for another 6 days. Repeat this process until the wart is gone.
Step 4. Use salicylic acid
It is a keratolytic agent. This acid gradually destroys the virus-infected epidermis. This triggers the body's immune response that causes irritation of the area in contact with salicylic acid. It helps remove warts. Salicylic acid can be easily purchased without a prescription at the pharmacy. This acid is not only easy to buy but also cheap.
Soak the wart in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, rub with a pumice stone to remove dead tissue. Then, apply salicylic acid to the wart. Do this every day. Be careful not to touch the surrounding skin. You can cover it with plaster. Initial results will be visible in about a week
Step 5. Use a pumice stone
One of the most important things a patient can do to get rid of warts is to use a pumice stone. This is the most simple and inexpensive way to remove warts.
After softening the wart by soaking it, using vinegar, acid plaster, etc., use a pumice stone to scrub the wart. But rub carefully! Rubbing too hard or deeply can injure the area and affect healthy skin, which can then become infected
Step 6. Use vitamins
Vitamin C tablets can also help treat this condition. You can apply a paste made of crushed vitamin C tablets and water on the wart to heal it. Since vitamin C is naturally acidic, it can work as a skin irritant and help remove warts.
Vitamin A especially also helps to cure genital warts. Some natural therapists recommend smearing genital warts with vitamin A or beta-carotene extract daily for 3-4 weeks. You can also take foods rich in beta-carotene like carrots and take vitamin A supplements orally for better results
Step 7. Use a needle
If you are comfortable with this method, of course. This requires a steady hand, so be careful. Here's how:
- First, apply ice to the area around the wart so that it becomes numb.
- Take the needle and sterilize it. Wash your hands thoroughly. To sterilize a needle, hold the needle against the flame.
- Insert the needle into the wart at different points several times. Insert the needle so that it touches all layers of the wart. This helps alert the body to warts which in turn will release antibodies which will help to get rid of the warts.
Part 2 of 4: Using Food-Based Medicine
Step 1. Use bananas
Bananas are known to contain potassium which is believed to have a caustic effect against warts. To use this fruit effectively, start by peeling the banana. Take the peel and scrape the inside of the skin and apply it on the wart. Then, cover with plaster or cloth and leave for one day.
Don't forget to scrape off the wart with a pumice stone to expose the wart before doing this treatment. Repeat this treatment daily until the wart heals in 2 to 3 weeks
Step 2. Try lemon
Lemons are naturally acidic. Its acidic content is known to shed and remove warts. Cut the lemon peel slightly wider than the size of the wart. Place it on the wart, then cover it with a plaster or cloth.
You can also soak a cotton ball in lemon juice and tie it to the wart. Leave it all night. Repeat this procedure daily until the wart is gone
Step 3. Experiment with basil leaves
Basil leaves are known to contain antiviral ingredients. It acts against the virus and helps the wart heal faster. Crush a few basil leaves, and apply the paste on the wart. Then, cover with plaster or cloth. Repeat this daily for a week or two until results are visible.
Step 4. Try garlic
Garlic extract is applied to the warts regularly for several weeks. Once you've applied it, cover it, and let it sit for a few hours. Repeat this every day. Results will be visible in a few weeks. Garlic is known to have antiviral action and helps inhibit the proliferation of virus-infected cells.
In a placebo-controlled trial, it was reported to have achieved healing of skin warts by applying garlic chloroform extract. There is no reappearance of warts even after 3 to 4 months
Step 5. Or use potatoes
Potatoes have been known to be useful as a wart remedy. Cut the potatoes in half. Take one piece and rub it on the wart about 3 times a day. You can leave a slice of potato on the wart and tape it for a few hours. Repeat this daily for about 2 weeks.
It is speculated that potatoes contain acids that act against and remove warts. It is also mentioned that potatoes contain potassium
Part 3 of 4: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Eat healthy food
Warts are known to appear when a person's immune system is weakened. People need to increase their immunity by eating a healthy and balanced diet. Your diet should contain nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins, in the right amounts. Include a number of vegetables and fruits in your diet.
Avoid artificially processed foods. Opt for natural foods over anything packaged or boxed. The more often you cook your own food, the healthier you will be
Step 2. Get your vitamins
Vitamins C and E are known to destroy the wart-causing virus. Here's how to get both vitamins in your diet:
- For vitamin C, people should consume lemon water (or sprinkle lemon on top of the food), eat oranges, grapefruit and other citric foods.
- For vitamin E one should include avocado, almonds, fish, spinach, tofu, sunflower seeds, vegetable oil, and foods fortified with vitamin E.
Step 3. Get enough potassium
Potassium deficiency is known to cause warts. Include bananas, potatoes, green leafy vegetables, avocados, and mushrooms in your diet to get plenty of potassium. Maintaining the body's potassium levels helps heal and prevent recurrence of warts.
However, try not to get too much potassium either, as it can cause problems. Talk to your doctor about how much of a nutrient level is right for you
Step 4. Also get enough lysine
Just like potassium, lysine is also known to strengthen the immune system. Lysine is found in fish (such as cod, salmon, molluscs), potatoes, yogurt, cheese, papaya, eggs, and chicken.
Lysine is also available in supplement form at any major convenience store or pharmacy. Lysine is great for skin and hair and can be a preventative measure too
Step 5. Don't forget zinc
Zinc is an important mineral in the body's immune system. Zinc deficiency can cause various diseases. Zinc can be found in nuts, seafood, spinach, pumpkin, and beans.
A placebo-controlled trial was conducted in which oral zinc sulfate was used to treat warts. The dose given is 10 mg/day. The placebo group did not show a response while the zinc group showed improvement in 87% of people
Part 4 of 4: Trying Alternative Medicine
Step 1. Use tea tree oil
Apply tea tree oil, Melaleuca alternifolia extract, on the wart to help heal the wart effectively. The recommended dose is to apply 2-3 drops of this oil on the warty area twice a day for at least 3 weeks.
Homeopathy is a safe and effective natural therapy for the treatment of warts. Apart from boosting immunity and curing warts, homeopathy also prevents warts from reappearing, without causing any harmful side effects
Step 2. Try Camellia sinensis
Extracts from the leaves of this plant are useful in the treatment of genital and anal warts, when applied to the warts 2-3 times a day for 3 weeks.
However, for better results, visit a qualified homeopath to find out the best treatment for your warts based on individual evaluation
Step 3. Experiment with Echinacea and Lomatium
Smearing the wart with 3-4 drops of Echinacea and Lomatium daily for 3 weeks can also help heal the wart.
Even if you are pregnant or suffering from other medical ailments, homeopathic remedies should be safe. This treatment also does not interfere with conventional medicine. Here are some treatments you can use for warts
Step 4. Try Thuja
This is a remedy from a group of homeopathic remedies most commonly used for warts. It is indicated for recurrent and long-lasting warts that can withstand any type of treatment. Painful and tender warts, anywhere on the body, are successfully treated with Thuja.
Smearing warts with Thuja extract twice daily for one month is indicated for chronic warts. You can also take Thuja 30 orally twice a day for one month or until the wart is gone
Step 5. Use antimonium crudum
This medication works best for plantar warts and foot warts, which may or may not hurt when walking. It is indicated for warts that appear on pressure points due to friction.
Antimonium crudum 200 taken orally, twice daily, for 1-2 months, is effective in treating warts
Step 6. Use dulcamara
Dulcamara is an essential remedy for treating skin eruptions, especially warts on the backs of the hands. Dulcamara 200 twice daily for 1 month or until symptoms disappear, is indicated for large, fine warts that appear on the face and hands.
Step 7. Try nitricum acidicum or causticum
It is most useful for genital and anal warts and warts on the lips that are irregular in shape, bleed easily, and cause a sharp stinging pain. Nitric acid 200 twice daily for 1 month should be sufficient.
Causticum 200 should also be used twice a day for 1 month. However, it is best for warts that are fleshy or fat, hard, and pedunculated that bleed easily
Step 8. Try Asclepias and dandelions
The sap extracted from the stems of Asclepias and dandelions is useful for removing warts. The sap contains proteolytic enzymes that are known to digest and shed warts.
