No one likes a blemish on the skin that draws unwanted attention, and warts are a common growth that is often associated with embarrassment and repulsion. While you may think that they only appear on the fingers, warts can emerge on other parts of the body. To get rid of these unsightly growths, there are wart removal home remedies that can provide relief and encourage faster healing.
20 Wart Removal Home Remedies
What are Warts
A wart is usually a small growth (with a rough texture) that resembles a solid blister or small cauliflower, and often appears on the hands or feet. However, depending on the kind of virus involved – warts can grow on other parts of the body. Viruses are responsible for the development of warts, and are often linked to several kinds of HPV (human papillomavirus). Sometimes, warts are mistaken for moles, but they are not the same thing. Moles are dark and can get pretty large, while warts are relatively small and usually skin-colored.
Causes and Symptoms
The cause and symptoms of your unwanted growths will depend on the type of warts you have developed. Some of the most common cases involve the following:
Common Warts
Usually found on the hands, common warts can grow anywhere. Common warts are typically painless until they are repeatedly rubbed against. With a rough, grainy appearance and a rounded top, the warts are usually grayer than the surrounding skin
Flat Warts
Found on the face and forehead, flat warts most commonly affect children and are rarely seen on adults. Oftentimes, the warts are overlooked. They can be pink, brownish, or a slightly yellow color.
Genital Warts
Forming in the pubic area and between the thighs, these warts strike the genital region, as well as can appear inside the vagina and anal canal. Genital warts spread through sexual contact.
Plantar Warts
These rather painful warts grow on the soles of the feet and can make it difficult to walk or run. They often look like a small hole on the bottom of your foot that is surrounded by hardened skin. These warts are known to itch.
Subungual and Periungual Warts
Warts can also develop under and around the fingernails or toenails [3]. They can be painful and affect the growth of the nails.
Home Remedies for Warts
All warts can spread from one part of your own body to another, which is why it is important to quickly implement a treatment plan to get rid of the growths. Wart removal home remedies can help you treat symptoms and increase the rate of healing. A handful of suggestions are found below:
a) Garlic
You can apply freshly crushed garlic directly to warts and cover with a bandage for an effective treatment. Garlic possesses an acidic effect that causes the wart to blister and eventually fall off in as little as one week. You will need to apply new garlic every day. For the best results, smear the garlic on the wart, and then cover with petroleum jelly to protect the skin. Eating garlic will also help the immune system fight the virus.
b) Garlic and Vitamin E:
A poultice made with crushed raw garlic will provide anti-viral properties that will help fight a wart. Pricking a vitamin E oil capsule and applying to your skin will help protect. Cover the wart with a bandage, and remove the covering after 24 hours. A blister will eventually form, and within a week, the wart should fall off.
c) Lemon Juice:
Dip a cotton swab (like a Q-tip) in lemon juice, and then apply directly to a wart. Repeat this process over the course of a few days. This will give the lemon juice a chance to dissolve the wart.
d) Lemon and Apple Cider:
Try soaking lemon slices in apple cider vinegar with a little added salt. Allow the mixture to stand for two weeks before rubbing the lemon slices on a wart.
e) Onions:
Onions have an irritating effect on the skin that can promote blood circulation, which can assist in the healing process. You can try rubbing cut slices of onion on your warts to encourage their disappearance.
f) Cotton Ball:
A cotton ball is a good way to easily administer wart home remedies. All you have to do soak the cotton ball with a solution (like apple cider vinegar or lime juice), and then place over the wart. Use a bandage or Band-Aid to keep the cotton ball from moving or falling off. It is also important to change the cotton ball on a daily basis.
g) Dandelion:
Some say that extracting the sap from a dandelion stem (yes, the ones that grow wild in your backyard) and applying to warts can help speed up healing.
h) Raw Potato:
Rubbing the inside of a sliced raw potato against a wart can help remove the growths because the starch works as a drying agent. Follow this remedy for about 10 minutes.
i) Banana Peel:
Some people have gotten rid of their warts by rubbing the inside of a banana peel on the growth for a few weeks. Rub the banana peel multiple times during the course of the day to achieve the best results.
j) Aloe:
For centuries, aloe has been recognized as a healing agent. When applied as a topical treatment, you can speed up the healing process and ease discomfort.
k) Vitamin A:
Directly applying the contents of a vitamin A capsule to warts can help with the healing process. Follow this treatment once a day until the wart starts to fade.
l) Vitamin C:
Add a small amount of water to a couple of crushed vitamin C tablets to make a healing paste for warts. Apply the remedy to the growth and cover with a Band-Aid to keep the paste in place. The high acid content of the vitamin will work on eradicating the virus responsible for the warts. Only use the paste on the wart and avoid coming in contact with healthy skin, as the vitamin has potential to irritate the skin.
m) Nail Polish
When you want to get rid of a wart, prevent the spread of the virus by using nail polish to cover up the offending growth. In one week, you should notice a great change in the wart.
n) Acne Medication:
The salicylic acid found in many acne treatments is known to ease symptoms in many skin conditions, such as dandruff, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, calluses, corn, as well as common and plantar warts. Try applying an acne product (such as Oxy or Clearasil) to a wart. Rub in the product on a daily basis for several weeks or months until the wart has disappeared. For better results, soak the affected skin to soften the wart. Filing dead skin will help speed up the healing process.
o) Foods with Proteolytic Enzymes:
Fruits, such as papaya, pineapple, banana peels and figs, contain enzymes with digestive properties that could help safely dissolve your warts.
p) First-Aid Tape:
Tape is a popular remedy for warts. Simply place the tape (any type of medical or first-aid tape) on a wart and keep in place for the entire day for a period of at least three weeks. Don’t forget to replace the tape on a daily basis.
q) Castor Oil:
Soak a piece of gauze with warmed castor oil, and rub across warts for 30 minutes. Repeat two more times throughout the day. You can also use a Band-Aid to keep the gauze in place for a longer period of time. Make sure to change the gauze twice per day.
r) Grapefruit Juice:
Apply a drop of fresh grapefruit juice to a wart, and cover with a Band-Aid. It is suggested to repeat this remedy three to four times a day. Continuously apply the juice to promote faster healing of warts. ??
s) Pure Honey:
The antibacterial properties of pure honey can help treat a wart. Apply the remedy first thing in the morning, and repeat again in the nighttime. Follow this process until the growth vanishes. Some people have reported seeing results within a couple of days.
t) Apple Cider Vinegar and Petroleum Jelly:
- To remove plantar warts at home, start by soaking your affected foot in a basin filled with warm water. Leave foot in for five minutes. Empty the water, and then fill the basin with lukewarm apple cider vinegar – only pour enough to cover the planter wart. Soak the wart in the vinegar for 15 minutes.
- After removing your foot from the basin, gently pat dry with a towel that is immediately set aside to be laundered. Apply petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) on the skin that surrounds the wart. Do not put the petroleum jelly directly on the wart. The Vaseline will help protect the healthy skin. Use a nail file to gently rub back and forth across the wart area. Do this for no more than 30 seconds, as you don’t want to break open the growth. Your goal is to roughen the surface of the wart so that an application of vinegar will absorb deeply into the affected skin.
- Soak a sterile cotton ball with a small amount of apple cider vinegar and press against the wart. Don’t be alarmed if you experience a stinging sensation for a moment. Hold the cotton ball in place with a Band-Aid. Some people will use duct tape for a more secure fit. Keep the cotton ball in place for an entire day or overnight (if possible). The best results come when the treatment is followed daily – once in the morning and once in the evening. Within three days to two weeks, the wart should start to darken. The skin will eventually fall off on its own. It is suggested to repeat this remedy for a week.