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Most Effective Natural Treatment for Warts

Warts can be annoying, unsightly, and even painful if they're in a spot where they get frequently snagged. Warts are caused by several of the human papilloma viruses (HPV), and are highly contagious. They often disappear spontaneously within a couple of years of appearing. But if one is bothering you, and you don't want your doctor to burn, freeze, or cut it off, suggestions for natural treatment abound.

  1. Common Warts

    • Though common warts can occur anywhere on your body, you're most likely to see one on your face, hands, arms or knees. As you know if you've ever searched the Internet for a remedy, advice is plentiful, and suggested home treatments range from reasonable to risky. Most, however, are benign and can't hurt to try. It's difficult to predict the longevity of an existing wart, and they often disappear without any treatment at all. Waiting, then, would be a simple and often effective treatment.

      Try denying the wart oxygen. This treatment involves covering the wart with duct tape, first aid tape, or clear fingernail polish. The covering is left on daily, with periodic checks to see if the wart has begun to look removable. An oft-quoted study at Madigan Army Medical Center in 2002 claims that duct tape works about 85 percent of the time to remove warts.

      Apple cider vinegar frequently appears as a cure for warts in folk remedy literature. Apply it to the wart, don't rinse off, and repeat for however many weeks it takes for the wart to change in color and be removed. Many different substances are recommended for use in this same way. Vitamin A or E, the insides of banana peels, aloe vera, iodine, crushed garlic, castor oil and baking soda, onion juice, tea tree oil and oregano oil are some examples.

    Plantar Warts

    • Plantar warts appear on your feet

      Plantar warts most often occur on the bottom of the feet and toes. They look more like white calluses, but are tender to the touch and can be quite painful to walk on. The good news is that they are unlikely to spread to any other part of your body. Duct tape and apple cider vinegar are most commonly recommended as natural treatment for plantar warts. Take care not to dig into the flesh when trying to get rid of plantar warts, as you run the risk of infecting the area.

    Genital Warts

    • See your doctor about genital warts

      See a doctor. These soft, moist growths found anywhere in your genital area are sexually transmitted and highly contagious, according to Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Genital warts can also be transmitted to a baby during birth. Some types of genital warts are associated with cervical cancer. Don't try home treatments--visit your doctor.

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