How to treat warts the natural way

Warts occur when viruses, usually the papilloma type, invade skin cells. They may be unsightly, and they occasionally itch. Here are a few ways to treat them at home.

Pediatricians used to sometimes advise their small patients to draw their wart on a postcard and send it far away — a psychological boost that might have helped. These days, medical responses to a wart consist mainly of burning, scraping, cutting or freezing. These are painful techniques that can leave scars. In many cases, warts respond better to natural, tried-and-true remedies.

Warts occur when viruses, usually the papilloma type, invade skin cells. They may be unsightly, and they occasionally itch. A plantar wart on the heel or ball of the foot can cause pain when walking, because the weight on the foot presses it inward. Warts often disappear within six months to two years without treatment. Here are a few ways to treat your warts.

Treating warts requires patience — unfortunately, there is no cure-all. Resist scraping or picking them off. If you have a case of painful plantar warts (warts that grow inward and often appear on your feet), you may require medical treatment.

• Bloodroot is considered a classic wart cure. The milky sap that dribbles from the cut edges of leaves and stems can be applied directly to the wart. Only use bloodroot externally — it is poisonous when ingested.
• Pot marigold salve works well for warts on your face, since it contains relatively mild substances.
• Apply a few drops of tea tree, lavender or clove oil to the wart.
• Brush pure castor oil onto the affected areas several times a day to keep the viruses from reproducing.
• A paste made from baking powder and castor oil can help; brush it onto the wart several times a day and cover with a dressing.
• Mix together Epsom salts and cider vinegar in a 1:4 ratio and dab onto the wart several times a day to promote healing.

• Rub warts with a peeled raw potato.
• Alternatively, brush the skin growths with the juice of an unripe fig.
• Apply the inside of a banana peel to a wart on the sole of your foot and secure it with a bandage.
• Cut a lemon into slices and put them into a glass. Add cider vinegar to cover. Let the lemon slices steep for two weeks, then rub the wart with them.

Tip: Warts, which most frequently occur on hands and feet, are not only unattractive and annoying — they are also contagious. For that reason, never share creams, handkerchiefs or washcloths. To keep from getting warts in the first place, avoid going barefoot in swimming pools, saunas, gyms or hotel rooms.