Herbal Solutions For Wart Removal

Traditionally, warts were thought to be caused by toads, but that's not the case. More than 100 forms of the Human Papillome Viruses (HPVs) are the true cause. As such, you have to consider a variety of remedies when looking to get rid of them. Depending on where the warts are located on your body, and how widespread they are, you may want to use a gel, paste, pills or lotion.

Aloe

• It has been used for years to treat the skin--particularly for sunburn--and it is the leaf of the aloe plant. Simply spreading a gel of aloe on the wart(s) can help to remove them. You can purchase a cream over the counter or cut open an aloe leaf, and squeeze out the sap onto the effected area. According to "Herbal Remedies for Warts" (found on herbalremediesinfo.com), the sap/gel has antibacterial and antiviral properties, and thus it kills the HPV causing the wart(s).

Astragalus

• With this herb, a member of the legume family, you can apply it to the skin or take it in a liquid or capsule form if the warts are widespread across your body. According to "Herbal Remedies for Warts," it acts as a booster to your immune system, and thus your body can fight off the HPV.

Bloodroot

• Also known as Red Indian paint, bloodroot is a flower that grows across North America. It can be helpful in the event you have warts or skin tags. A paste made of bloodroot can be effective in removing them. The plant blocks the growth of skin cells, and thus the warts are unable to grow. Native Americans swear by its curative properties, and in Dr. Weil's "Spontaneous Healing" (Knopf, 1995), he lists a number of testimonials as to its effectiveness.

Celandine

• A member of the poppy family, celandine has been found to be effective in treating warts. Researchers at Palacky University (Czech Republic) and the University of Regensburg (Germany) found in 1996 that an extract of celandine retarded the cell growth. The plant, like the bloodroot, contains alkaloids that inhibit skin cells from reproducing.

Mayapple

• Also known as American mandrake, this herb is typically turned into a topical application, but mayapple is also quite toxic--even poisonous. According to "Herbal Remedies for Warts," it also prevents the skin cells from reproducing. Given its toxic nature, only use it under the supervision of a doctor.

White Cedar Leaf

• It has highly beneficial antiviral qualities, and can be made into an oil to apply to the warts or a tincture that you drink. According to "Natural Herbal Cures for Warts", white cedar leaf is effective at destroying the HPV.

Garlic

• Although certainly popular as a food additive, "Natural Herbal Cures for Warts" also speaks of garlic's antiviral properties. You can just break up a clove of garlic, place a small piece of it over a wart and then hold it in place with a piece of surgical gauze or bandage.

Pineapple Peel

• Along the same lines as garlic is pineapple, and it's applied in the same manner. Just cut up some small bits of the peel and hold them in place with some form of binding. As mentioned in "Natural Herbal Cures for Warts", pineapple contains proteolytic enzymes that aid in dissolving warts.