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Home Remedies for Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are ugly, irritating and the fact that they are on the bottom of your feet can make them sometimes painful. In fact, there is not much good that can be said about them except the fact that you can treat them at home. There are not a lot of studies done that support the home remedies used for plantar warts, but there are many "word of mouth" testimonies as to what works and what doesn't.

  1. Vinegar

    • One of the most popular home remedies for plantar warts includes the use of apple cider vinegar. Soak your foot in warm water, then apply some petroleum jelly to the skin surrounding the wart, but not on the wart. Apply apple cider vinegar to a cotton ball, and then apply the cotton ball to the wart. Cover with duct tape and leave on for as long as you can, even all day if possible. This method should be done at least once a day and left on for at least 60 minutes. There is no need to rinse the vinegar off after when you take off the cotton ball. After two weeks, the wart starts turning black and raises up from the skin, until it falls off. Those who promote this treatment recommend continuing it for 7 to 10 days after the wart has been removed in order to ensure that it does not return.

    Tea Tree Oil

    • Plantar warts are the product of HPV (human papilloma virus) according to the Mayo Clinic, and not a fungus as some might suspect. The virus can enter the skin through cracks or cuts. The Encyclopedia of Chemistry states that tea tree oil, a proven anti-fungal agent, has also been demonstrated in some studies to have anti-viral properties as well. This is what makes it another popular home remedy for plantar warts. Apply the tea tree oil to the wart through the same process used above for the apple cider vinegar treatment, from petroleum jelly right down to the duct tape. Tea tree oil can be harsh, so if you experience any adverse skin reaction to it, such as swelling, rash or itch, discontinue use.

    Food Treatments

    • While again there are no studies to support the following treatments, "word of mouth" from grandmas and grandpas all over the world have kept these home remedies alive. Some foods that are recommended for treating plantar warts are garlic, potatoes, lemon peel, banana peel, cashews and onions. You don't eat these foods to get rid of the warts, you cut them in half or cut them open and rub them on the wart. The lemon and banana peel can be taped to the wart, just as you tape the vinegar or tea tree cotton ball. The other items you simply rub on the wart several times a day. See the Resources section for other home remedies that have been passed down through the ages.

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