How To Get Rid Of Warts
Warts are small tumors that usually appear on hand or feet and sporadically in other locations. The cause of warts is a viral infection. They are contagious when it gets in contact with the skin of an infected individual.
Warts can also appear by using the towels or personal care items of infected individuals. They can last for a couple of months, even years and they can recur frequently. Personally, I had three warts during my life so far: two in childhood and they just fell by themselves and another one right now. The latter one is there for a couple of years; it doesn’t seem to go away all by itself but it doesn’t bother me much at all as it is situated on the inside part of one of my hand fingers. Nevertheless, if you’re bothered by your wart or warts then we’ve got some of the most frequent wart removal options covered for you in this article.
1. Get Rid Of Warts Through Salicylic Acid
You can use a topical treatment containing salicylic acid to get rid of warts. This is the best option and most recommended by experts since it had the best cure rate in clinical trials, namely 75%. Salicylic acid heats the wart, destryoing the cells containing the virus and topical treatments containing it can be found over-the-counter (e.g.: Plantarstat, castor oil). Make sure you don’t use over-the-counter topical treatments to cure facial or genital warts without expert recommendation as the pain and the side effects can be too much to bear. Also, isolate the treatment area to avoid skin irritation.
2. Get Rid Of Warts Through Other Over The Counter Treatments
There are other over the counter treatments useful in fighting warts. One particular topical treatment contains a mix of dimethyl ether and propane that helps freeze the warts and destroy the infected cells (similar to salicylic acid but instead of heating it freezes). Same alert here: don’t use these on facial and genital warts without an expert recommendation.
3. Get Rid Of Warts Through Duct Tape
Cover the warts inside several layers of duct tape. If that can be done, then just cut some duct tape and apply it over the wart. Let the duct tape sit over the wart for at least a week. You may want to apply salicylic acid or moisturize the wart before putting the duct tape on as it is believed to enhance results. After one week, remove the duct tape and soak the wart in water for about 10 minutes. Then get an emery board and try to remove the dead wart skin. Let it dry over night and start all over again in the morning with a brand new duct tape. Do this for about a month – roughly four times / four weeks – for best results or until the wart is gone completely.
4. Get Rid Of Warts Through Hot Water
Insert your wart into hot water, as hot as you can handle without burning yourself and stay there as long as you can. Then get an emery board and try to peel off the dead skin from the wart. Repeat daily until the wart is gone.
5. Get Rid Of Warts Through The Use Of Garlic
Just like vampires, warts seem to hate garlic. You’ll need to crush some garlic and apply it with a bandage over the wart. Do this daily until your wart will fall, which should take around one week. Make sure you apply garlic only on the wart and not on the healthy skin as it might irritate it. You may try to counter that with petroleum. As a side effect, you’ll stink a bit so make sure you do this in a period with low social interactions (e.g.: during a holiday).
6. Get Rid Of Warts Through Keeping Them Dry
Clean them thoroughly and then apply a bandaid to keep them dry and prevent the infection of other parts of the body. Do that until you get rid of them.
7. Get Rid Of Warts Through Vinegar
You can put some vinegar on a cotton ball and then apply that cotton ball on the wart by covering it with a bandage. Do that daily until the wart is removed.
8. Get Rid Of Warts Through Banana Peels
You can cut a small piece of the inner side of a banana peel and attach it to your wart with the help of a bandage. It appears that the oils inside the banana peel will have a tough fight with the wart until it kills it off. Repeat daily until you get rid of the wart.
9. Get Rid Of Warts Through Aloe Vera
Cut a leaf of Aloe Vera and rub the gel from it on your wart. Repeat daily until the wart will disappear or until you run out of Aloe Vera leafs, in which case you either didn’t have enough leafs left or you need to try another method.
This concludes our article on how to get rid of warts. I hope it has been of help to you. Don’t hesitate to post comments below in case you have used other warts removal options successfully or if you can add to our article in any way.
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i have a wart under my armpit its been there quite a long time now as long as i can remember it started to hurt over the past few days and now its turned black and its stopped hurting to if its black does that mean anythink
Comment by rocky kao — June 24, 2010 @ 8:01 am
Hi Rocky,
Having your wart turn black is actually a good thing. This most likely means that your wart is about to die on its own.
Comment by admin — June 26, 2010 @ 4:19 am
I had cauliflower-like warts all over my hands for years: they were often unsanitary, (difficult to wash), and sometimes could become painful. I tried everything, from prescription medication (topical applications) to garlic to every trick in the book. I was at Culinary School, and was assigned to a grill station. Naturally, Chefs eventually become accustomed to intense heat acquiring what we call “Chef’s hands”. Whithin a few weeks, my warts had disappeared with no trace! To this day, (this was thirteen years ago now) they have no sign of reappearing. My sister had a similar experience with warts on the bottom of her feet that disappeared on the bottom of her feet after walking on hot pavement! Heat is the only thing that seems to work for us! Just wanted to let you know!
Comment by Denis — August 8, 2010 @ 9:17 am
Hi Denis,
Thanks for your comment. Every bit helps in forming a useful resource on wart removal.
Thanks!
Comment by admin — August 10, 2010 @ 1:02 pm
I am facing a wart problem on my face and also on neck also from last 2 and half years but still not any permanent remedy as i take medicine by different docters.just they cauterize by electric mode but they again grow on shaving area.now i m fed pls advice for permanent solution.
Comment by pushap kumar — August 27, 2010 @ 3:40 am
Well, if you tried any of the methods described above as well as medical treatment then there isn’t much we can help you with other than advise you to seek a better doctor that can actually treat you.
Good luck!
Comment by admin — September 5, 2010 @ 2:14 am
I’ve had problems with warts on my hands since childhood, until I heard about using potato. I cut a thin slice and bandage it over the wart for a few hours and the wart will generally be gone in a week or so. I’ve only had to re-apply with larger specimens a few times, and a second application has yet to fail to remove the problem. Before the potato remedy I had tried pretty much every other typical method (acid, freezing, burning, surgery) and this is the only one that has been 100 percent effective in my experience.
Comment by Joe — September 14, 2010 @ 5:35 am
good day.. i just wanna ask. how to use a salicylic acid? i had a warts on my pointing finger since grade 5 and now im aLready 2nd yr coLLege, another one was form right beside it.. i just wanna get rid of this coz its affect me so much especiaLLy when someone touches my hand. hope you advice me on how to use this acid. TNX
Comment by AxL — September 22, 2010 @ 11:19 am
If you buy/obtain a preparation containing salicylic acid there are usually instructions that come with it. Follow those. If not, then just clean the area thoroughly and then apply salicylic acid on the affected area and ONLY on it. Most of the time daily application is required and the area containing the wart should be kept clean.
Comment by admin — September 26, 2010 @ 2:27 am
Hi,
I have a wart on my foot and i’m going on holiday in a weeks time I would really love if i could get rid of it for then,what method do you think is fastest for a wart to go.
Comment by Charlotte — July 24, 2011 @ 6:01 am
Hi Charlotte,
If you want to remove warts fast, you should go to a pharmacy and ask for a product that freezes the wart and removes it. I think that’s your best bet.
Happy holiday!
Comment by admin — July 27, 2011 @ 12:55 am
Just got rid of a large plantars wart that was a pain for a year and a half. After trying freezing, liquid Salicylic acid, and duct tape didn’t work, I went to the Dr. and was prescribed some crazy 600 dollar cancer cream. I decided that was overkill, didn’t buy it, and tried one more time both salicylic AND duct tape, this time using it for the full “use for up to 12 weeks” period. It took 2 months before I could tell it was doing anything… then finally I could tell that wart was on its way out… I finished the 3 month treatment, even up to the point where I knew it was already gone and I kept going… it is now gone! Big warts are deep rooted and can take forever to burn off with acid, be patient…
Comment by dan — November 12, 2011 @ 10:15 am
Thanks for sharing your story Dan.
I know our articles aren’t perfect so it’d be great if more of you could share such stories. It’ll greatly improve this article.
Thanks!
Comment by admin — November 12, 2011 @ 12:13 pm