Home remedies for warts

The first remedy you should try in order to get rid of warts comes right out of your kitchen which is garlic. This pungent smelling spice poses enormous health benefits, especially when it comes to dermatologic conditions. It is enriched with various bioactive compounds like allinase, allinin, arginine, selenium and flavonoids, which not only reduce common skin problems like inflammation but also they promote skin health and delay ageing.

Interestingly, different forms of garlic like raw garlic juice, heated garlic juice, dehydrated garlic powder and aged garlic extract have different types of pharmacological effects.

When it comes to warts, the antiviral property of garlic comes into action. Garlic has been found to exhibit an inhibitory effect on the multiplying viral population in warts. A study reveals the successful treatment of warts by using chloroform extract of garlic without any risk of recurrence after 3 to 4 month of regular use.

If you pick garlic as a home remedy to get rid of warts, apply it in the following way:

• Crush one garlic clove and apply it on warts directly
• Cover it with a piece of cloth for 10 to 15 minutes
• Repeat the practice for a few days or weeks to get the desired result

You might feel a slight burning sensation on its application, if it persists, try another remedy instead.

Vitamin A is an effective remedy to suppress the growth of warts. It interferes with the replication and differentiation process of the human papillomavirus.

So, regular application of this vitamin would be enough to keep these unpleasant skin lesions under control.

A case study reported a significant reduction in irregular warty growths on regular application of vitamin A oil at night and complete removal of warts with the reappearance of healthy skin within 70 days of treatment. Considering reappearance of normal and healthy skin, without any scar tissue or marks, vitamin A was indicated to be a safer remedy

Furthermore, it was also suggested that vitamin A is much more potent than salicylic acid (a drug used to treat warts) for warts treatment and preventing its recurrence.

Interestingly, application of vitamin A induces certain modifications in the immune system, which enables your body to eradicate other sites of HPV infective growth. This means, if you apply retinoids on warts growing on your right-hand finger, warts present on your left-hand finger will banish on its own. Isn't it like some kind of magic?

Although you won't find vitamin A exclusively in your house, you can definitely use its natural sources such as fish, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables. Alternatively, you can use fish oil or vitamin A capsules.

Next addition to the list of natural remedies for warts removal is apple cider vinegar (ACV). It is a fermented product of apple. Just like any other vinegar, apple cider vinegar has multiple uses in cooking as well as in the traditional system of medicine. This specific type of vinegar contains acetic acid, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and polyphenolic compounds. However, it is the acetic acid content (up to 99%) of ACV that plays a key role in the mechanical destruction of the bulging growths.

If you opt for apple cider vinegar to get rid of warts, follow these steps to make it work effectively:

• Apply a few drops of vinegar on the growth
• Put a bandage around it to make the solution stay
• Repeat it for a few days to get rid of the warts

Tips:

• You might feel a little bit of burning sensation on the application of ACV
• If the burning sensation lasts longer or redness and irritation occurs, discontinue the application
• Apple cider vinegar may be harsh on the skin sometimes, resulting in erosion of the upper layer of your skin. For best results, it is advisable that you dilute this vinegar before use.

If you are scared of applying any remedy on warts, you can make use of the good ol’ duct tape. It is the most cost-effective and painless method, which can also be used for children.

The whole idea behind the use of duct tape is to occlude growing warts. The effectivity of duct tape is often compared to cryotherapy (by using liquid nitrogen). In fact, when it comes to wart removal, some researchers find duct tape better than cryotherapy.

If you want to make your warts disappear permanently using duct tape, follow these steps:

• Cut a duct tape as per the size of warts
• Apply the piece of duct tape directly on the growth/s
• Leave it undisturbed for 6 days
• If during this period, duct tape loosens, apply another piece
• On 7th day remove the duct tape and scrub the wart with pumice or exfoliating glove after soaking it in the water
• Leave the wart open and undisturbed overnight
• Repeat the whole 6-day procedure from the next day
• Keep doing this for 2 months to see the result

While studying the use of duct tape for the treatment of warts, researchers came across an interesting process of immunomodulation in growing warts. It was noticed that warts, which were at distant sites and were not even treated occluded with duct tape also showed decreased growth and disappeared with time.

The study concluded that occlusion with duct tape leads to local irritation, thereby stimulating the host immune system and disappearance of warts all over the body.

The same study claims no side effects after using duct tape and the resolution of most of the unwanted growth within 1 month of the treatment.

Tea tree oil is an essential oil extracted from tea tree, a native of Australia. Pure essential oils are loaded with tons of therapeutic effects. It can be used both as a cosmetic product and as a medicinal alternative.

When it comes to warts removal, tea tree oil is quite effective and safe. A study reveals that tea tree oil is effective in resolving warts within 12 days of daily application. It also promotes the formation of new epithelial cells in place of abnormal growing tissues, reducing the risk of scarring. Doesn't it seem like a quick therapy with a bonus?

Well, all of these benefits of tea tree oil are attributed to the fact that it possesses strong antiviral properties, which makes it capable of eradicating HPV infection within 2 weeks. To make the best use of tea tree oil, you need to apply it in the following way:

• Put 2 to 3 drops of pure tea tree oil on the lesion once daily
• Leave it for few minutes undisturbed
• Repeat the application for 2 weeks to see a noticeable result

Another easy option to get rid of warts in the comfort of your home is by using a very common painkiller, aspirin. Most of you may already have aspirin in your emergency medicine kit, it's okay if you don't. Aspirin is an over the counter medicine and is hence easily available at any pharmacy. It contains salicylic acid as an active ingredient and topical application of salicylic acid is a very widely used for the treatment of warts.

The British Journal of Dermatology suggests that salicylic acid is the best treatment for removal of warts and has shown significant effects in a number of research studies. So, if you want to make those warts disappear, opt for aspirin to get quick results. It is easy to use, shows negligible side effects and also cost-effective.

The best way to use aspirin for warts is mentioned below:

• Soak the skin affected with warts for 10 to 15 minutes
• To skip the first step, use aspirin after taking bath as your skin will be soft already
• Scrub warts with pumice or exfoliating gloves to remove the thickened layer of dead skin
• Now crush the aspirin tablet to make powder or paste
• Apply it on warts  two times a day for 12 weeks to get the needed relief

Latex of the fig tree is a well-known traditional remedy for warts. Though fig trees don’t really grow on roadsides, at least not in India, various commercial products have fig tree latex as an important ingredient. If you can find one, it could just be your next go-to alternative to get a wart-free skin.

The mechanism behind the action of the latex of the fig tree is probably their ability to breakdown proteins of the growing tissue due to the enzymes present in it.

Being a natural remedy, it does not lead to many side effects and is pretty easy to use. It is not only effective in removing warts but also prevents the recurrence of the condition. All of these advantages make fig latex an effective natural treatment for warts.

Echinacea is a flowering plant, most well known for its antimicrobial benefits in the treatment of a cough or cold. It has also been found to be effective in relieving skin conditions such as boils, ulcers, burns and warts.

Various species of this plant grow in India and are commonly known as coneflowers. They have beautiful purple-pink flowers that look similar to sunflowers and daisies. For all you know you might have appreciated the beauty of these flowering plants in spring, without even knowing their name.

But now that you know you can easily identify this plant and make a poultice out of it to be applied to the wart affected area. Not a herbal enthusiast? No problem, Echinacea is also available in the form of tablets, juice and tea commercially. Just visit a store and pick a product as per your need.

Another herb used in the treatment of skin diseases like warts is Euphorbia wallichii or Wallich spurge. This flowering herb is found in the Himalayan mountain range of India. If you belong to these parts of India, look for the plant to use as a natural remedy to get rid of warts. It has prominent yellow flowers that grow in clusters and oval leaves with a white midriff.

Extracts of this plant can be applied to the growth to suppress or get rid of it completely.