Common warts grow on your fingers and hands; plantar warts grow on the bottom of your feet. Both types of warts are caused by a strain of the human papillomavirus. Warts are also contagious. You can spread your warts to others by sharing towels or anything else that comes in contact with them. You can also spread your wart to other parts of your body by touching it. A wart can clear up on its own, but several remedies you can try might help you get rid of it faster.
Duct Tape
Covering a wart with duct tape is one surprising natural remedy. According to the Mayo Clinic, covering a wart with duct tape is more effective than freezing it off. You will be wearing a piece of duct tape over the wart for the next two months, so you may want to try another remedy if the wart is visible. Cover the wart with a piece of tape and leave the tape in place for six days. Remove the tape and soak the wart in warm water for about five minutes. Scrub the wart with a pumice stone, then cover the wart with a new piece of tape. Repeat every six days until the wart is gone.
Vitamin Treatments
Other natural wart remedies that may be effective include treating the wart with vitamin E or vitamin D-3, according to Health911 and the Mayo Clinic. To treat with vitamin E, break open a gel capsule and apply some of the oil to a bandage. Cover the wart with the bandage, reapplying as needed until the wart is gone. You can also try covering the wart with a vitamin D-3 patch until it clears up.
Garlic
Rubbing the wart with garlic can help it clear up. Garlic contains the sulfur compound allicin, which gives it its distinct taste and smell. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods website, allicin also has anti-viral properties. To treat your warts with garlic, Health 911 recommends slicing open a clove and rubbing it on the wart. Cover the wart with a bandage. Wash the wart the next day, and reapply the garlic until the wart goes away.
Salicylic Acid
Most over-the-counter (OTC) wart treatments contain at least a 15 percent solution of salicylic acid. The acid is an effective way to remove warts, but you need to be careful using it. Getting the acid on non-infected parts of your skin can lead to irritation and burning. Soak your warts in water for a few minutes before applying the acid. Cover the wart with a bandage after treatment. Use a pumice stone to remove dead tissue and continue to apply the acid until the wart goes away.
Warning
You should check with your doctor before trying any natural wart remedies. It is important to know for sure that what you are treating is actually a wart. It could be something more serious. If you are pregnant, you should avoid treating your wart with salicylic acid, unless you specifically have your doctor’s permission.
Photo Credit
- garlic in the pigtail image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
