Warts are often unsightly. They’re stubborn growths that can appear almost anywhere on your skin, although they’re most common on your hands, feet and, in the case of genital warts, around your genitalia. Having warts can often leave you feeling embarrassed and irritated, but they are usually harmless. Luckily, these home remedies for warts can help to cure them.

Warts are caused by viral infections which infect the top layer of your skin. This then causes that layer to grow at a rapid pace – forming a wart. The virus can be caught if you cut your skin or damage it in some way and then come into contact with another individual with the virus.  warts can be embarrassing, irritating, and depressing. You may also catch the virus through sexual intercourse or the sharing of towels, razors, and other personal hygiene items.

Children, teenagers and people with weaker immune systems are most at risk of developing warts, although they can be caught by anyone.

Types of Warts

There are many different types of warts and each type will usually appear a little differently. The types include the following

Common warts: These generally appear on your hands. They’re a grayish brown color and a rough and dome-shaped.

Plantar warts: Most common on the soles of your feet. They can cause pain when you walk and appear as hard thick growths with a speck of dark color in them.

Flat warts: These will usually grow on your face, arms, and legs. They’re small and will be flat rather than domed. They’re usually a light yellow, brown or pink color.

Filiform warts: These warts usually appear on your face, specifically around your mouth. They’ll be fleshy colored and sometimes have thread-like growths protruding from them.

Periungual warts: These grow around and under your finger and toenails.

In most cases, warts will disappear on their own. If they’re stubborn though, you may want to try some of these home remedies to help them on their way.

 

Home Remedies for Warts

1. Potatoes

Potatoes, and more specifically, their juices, make a great home remedy for warts. Slice a potato in half and rub the inside over the wart. Make sure to cover it plenty of the potato juices. If you repeat this method twice a day for two weeks your wart should go down.

 

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar makes a great home remedy for a number of issues. Soak a cotton ball or pad in some apple cider vinegar and attach it to your wart using bandage tape or something similar. Leave the vinegar to soak into your skin for three or four hours. Do this every day to see a result.

3. Duct Tape

Duct tape is one of the most widely researched home remedies for warts. Cut a small square of tape and place it over your wart. Leave it on until it’s ready to be replaced. Continue reapplying the tape for around two weeks and you should start to notice a difference.

 

4. Orange Peel

Rubbing your warts with orange peel is a great way to reduce their size and help them heal. The compounds in the peel with gradually turn your wart an orange color before it finally drops off. The process should take two weeks in total. Keep rubbing with the orange peel at least once a day until your wart has gone.

5. Clear Nail Polish

Paint your wart with a thin layer of clear nail polish. This creates a protective shield over your wart which prevents further damage and helps it to heal faster. You should reapply the polish every other day for two weeks.

 

6. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera gel is another home remedy that is great for all manner of skin conditions. Like with apple cider vinegar, you can soak a cotton ball or pad in some aloe vera gel and apply it directly to the affected area. Do this every day for two weeks and your wart should heal nicely.

7. Garlic

Garlic has a number of healing properties which make it a great home remedy for warts and other issues. Rub a raw garlic clove over your wart on a daily basis over the course of two weeks. The natural oils and compound in the garlic will help to heal damaged skin cells and reduce the size of your wart.

 

8. Bananas

Bananas are a great home remedy for plantar warts in particular. Place the peel from a banana over your wart, the inside of the peel should be touching the wart. Leave the peel there for as long as possible, making sure it stays in contact with the skin at all times. After three or four days, you should start to notice an improvement.

 

9. Dandelion Milk

Applying the milk of a dandelion directly to the wart can help it to heal faster. Apply a little each day over the course of two weeks to see an improvement.

10. Castor Oil

Rub a little castor oil onto your wart twice a day for two weeks. Over this two-week period, you should see an improvement in the size and seriousness of your wart.

 

11. Vitamin E Oil

Slice open a vitamin E capsule to extract the oil from its center. You can then apply this oil to your wart and cover with a sock, glove, or band-aid. Leave the wart covered in this way overnight and rinse thoroughly in the morning. Doing this each night should see your wart heal faster.

12. Vitamin C

Crush or split a vitamin C tablet down so that it’s a similar size as the wart you’re treating. Place the crushed tablet over your wart using medical tape or a band-aid to keep it in place. This will help get the benefits of the vitamin straight to your wart and help it heal faster. You should start to see results in about two weeks.  

 

13. Vitamin A

Eating a diet that’s rich in vitamin A will help to boost your immune system. As a result, it’ll help your warts to heal much faster too. You can increase your vitamin A intake by choosing foods like papaya, apricots, and mangoes as well as by adding plenty of garlic to your meals.  

 

14. Wash Your Hands

Warts, or the infection that causes them, can be spread easily. For example, if you touch the wart and then touch another area of your body without washing your hands first, you’ll likely see a new wart appear in that area very soon. Make sure you wash your hands regularly and avoid touching the wart as much as you can. After applying topical treatments, wash your hands immediately.

 

15. Pineapple

Pineapple makes a fresh and zingy home remedy for warts. This is because pineapple is full of natural acids and enzymes which can help treat your wart. Apply a slice of fresh pineapple to your wart and leave it to sit for around half an hour. Do this a few times each day to get the best results.

16. Baking Powder

Baking powder works very well with castor oil to cure your warts. Mix the two together to form a paste and apply directly to your wart. Cover it with a bandage overnight and rinse when you get up in the morning.

 

17.  Aspirin

Aspirin can be used in a very similar way to vitamin C. Crush a tablet and mix it with some water. This should form a paste which you can then apply to your wart and cover overnight. After several nights of doing this, you should notice a difference.

 

18. Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has so many health benefits it can be hard to keep track. One of these is its use as a home remedy for warts. This essential oil is packed with antiviral properties which mean it’s great at tackling the virus responsible for your warts. It acts as an antiviral, prevent warts from growing and causing them to drop off.  Wash your hands and the area with warts thoroughly before applying a few drops of tea tree oil to the wart. Leave the oil to soak in for at least eight hours. You can try covering it with a bandage and leaving it overnight. In the morning, wash the area thoroughly, repeat the process and reapply a fresh bandage. Repeat this process for a few weeks until the wart drops off.

 

19. Bee Propolis

Some people have suggested that applying bee propolis directly to your warts can help them to heal. Like many treatments for warts, you’re best to apply it at night and leaving it on until the morning.

 

20. Oregano Essential Oil

Oregano is a popular addition to many recipes, but its oil actually makes a great home remedy for warts. It’s well-known for its antibacterial properties, but what many people don’t know is that it’s also antiviral and antiseptic. This makes it a great natural remedy for warts. It can cause irritation to the skin though, although this often means it’s able to burn off even stubborn warts. Try mixing four drops of oregano oil with two teaspoons of olive oil and applying this mixture to your warts. Do this six times a day at regular intervals. Placing some tape over the wart after applying the mixture will starve the wart of oxygen too and help stunt its growth.

21. Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass oil is another essential oil that makes a great home remedy for warts. Many studies have shown that lemongrass oil can tackle the virus behind warts and cold sores. It’s also a little gentler to your skin than oregano oil.

 

22. Thyme Essential Oil

The last essential oil on our home remedies list for warts is thyme oil. This particular oil has the ability to tackle warts of all types. Mix two drops with some olive oil and apply it directly to the affected area. This will damage the surface of the wart and cause it to die off. You should then be able to rub the dead wart off using a pumice stone in the shower or bath. Keep repeating this process a few times a week until the wart has been fully scrubbed off.

23. Make a DIY Smokebox

Ancient Chinese remedies often involve “smoking” warts away through the use of smoke boxes. These are essentially boxes which can be filled with smoke by burning plants like the poplar tree. It’s especially good for treating plantar warts, although it will work for other types too. You can create your own smokebox by purchasing and drying out some poplar leaves. Burn these leaves in a controlled environment outdoors and once they’ve burned sufficiently cover them with a fireproof container to snuff out the flames. You can then place the affected areas over the leaves to allow the smoke to reach your skin. Do this for around fifteen minutes to see an effect. Don’t get too close to the embers though and make sure all the flames are extinguished before going near them!

 

24. Milkweed

Although toxic if consumed orally due to containing the poison cardiac glycoside, milkweed can safely be applied topically to treat warts. Make sure it doesn’t get near your eyes and keep it away from pets and children, though. The sap can help treat your warts as it contains the same enzymes as bananas which help to break down and dissolve your warts.  

Squeeze the sap from the plant and apply it directly to your warts. You can try using a pumice stone on the wart first to make sure the sap gets right into the area. Leave the sap on the wart for a few hours and cover with a bandage. Repeat the method once a day until the wart drops off.

 

25. Manuka Honey

Organic Manuka honey has strong antibacterial and antiviral properties which make it a great home remedy for warts. It works by depriving the wart of oxygen in the same way as duct tape. Apply a teaspoon of honey to the affected area and cover it with a bandage. Keep the bandage on for around 24 hours. You should repeat this process every day until the wart heals.

Which of these home remedies for warts will you try? Comment below!

References

https://www.kidspot.com.au/health/infections-and-diseases/bacterial-and-viral/best-home-remedies-for-curing-warts/news-story/70dcfb643043555f5a8a212f710de428

https://www.annmariegianni.com/warts-10-ways-to-get-rid-of-them-naturally/

Plantar wart picture courtesy of Wikimedia user Marionette.
Cover photo for Home Remedies for Warts by Kai Hendry.