6 Natural Remedies for Warts

Warts are a common issue among the population. These non-cancerous, though very unappealing skin growths are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and can grow on any part of the body. What’s more, they are contagious, easily being spread by contact with the actual wart or something that even just touched the wart itself. Needless to say, there are various natural remedies for warts.

Even though warts can go away without treatment, many individuals decide to see a dermatologist for a solution. Typical treatment of a wart in the dermatologist’s office can include anything from excision, which is cutting out the wart, to laser treatments and chemical peels. But you certainly don’t need to go this route to rid your body of these unwanted growths.

If you don’t want to go the conventional way to treat a wart, but you also don’t necessarily want to leave it alone, there are a few things you can do right at home. Here are 6 natural remedies for warts.

1. Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is an essential oil that is known for its healing properties for skin infections. It has many beneficial properties including antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial. In World War II, tea tree oil was used to treat the infections of soldiers and sailors, including wounds. One 12 year old girl enrolled in a clinical trial successfully treated the warts on her finger by topically applying tea tree oil.

If you’re going to use tea tree oil, make sure to dilute it in a carrier oil first, such as avocado, jojoba, or coconut oil. Never apply essential oils undiluted to your skin.

2. Banana Peels

Among the most reportedly effective natural remedies for warts, banana peels have been used by countless individuals to remove warts. How? It’s simple. Tape a small piece of banana peel over the wart skin side out and leave on overnight. That’s it. Less ripe bananas work best as the healing agent seems to become less effective with age.

One person from EarthClinic reports:

“I’ve had a plantar wart on my right heel for over 4 years now. It stayed relatively small for about 2 years until it started irritating me, growing larger, and making it uncomfortable to run far distances (I’m a runner). I went to the doctor to have it, and several other smaller plantar’s warts he noticed removed off the heels of both of my feet, but within weeks they returned back to how they were before.

I bought at-home wart removal kits, which also resulted in a slight decrease in size, only to come back bigger and worse than before the treatment. I found this website and thought “what the heck” and within a single week all of my plantar’s warts have vanished aside from the initial one that showed up years ago, which is dead and I predict will fall off within the next week.”

3. Green Tea

Green tea is normally used to increase mental alertness; however, it has also become known as a treatment for HPV itself. As reported by MedlinePlus, many women have already been using it as such. You can choose to drink green tea or apply it in ointment form directly to the wart. Taking it one step further, there is even an FDA approved ointment called Veregen that’s made out of green tea extract and available by prescription – if you so choose to go this route.

4. Vitamin A

When applied topically, vitamin A has been found to successfully treat common warts. In one study, daily application of vitamin A derived from fish liver oil resulted in the disappearance of recalcitrant warts within 70 days. What’s more, this remedy can be amplified if you also take a zinc supplement.

Obtain 25,000IU vitamin A capsules, open the capsule, and apply to the warts.

5. Homeopathy

Homeopathy has been around since 1755 and is the belief that a substance that causes certain symptoms in a healthy person can cure an ailing person of similar symptoms. You may have also heard the phrase, like cures like, with regards to homeopathy. This practice takes into consideration the person as a whole and not the symptoms. It’s certainly controversial, but many attest to its effectiveness.

Homeopathic treatment will differ for each person, whether you’re being treated for warts or anything else. For example, for warts, if you are considered to be romantic, gluttonous, sleepy, weary, peevish, and sulky and you have horny or flat warts on the hands and feet, your treatment will differ from the person that tends to have cold hands, feet, knees, and head; whose hands are clammy; and who sweats on the top of the head at night.

6. Probiotics

Because warts are caused by a viral infection, taking probiotics may be in order. Probiotics supply your body with the ‘good’ bacteria, or microbes, that support our digestive tracts. These bacteria are often depleted from antibiotic use, so restoring the balance in your gut is essential for health.

According to Gary Huffnagle, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan Health System, it is these microbes that help stimulate our immune systems. Probiotics can be found in foods that have been fermented or are naturally fermented with bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus like yogurt, kefir, sourdough bread, and sauerkraut. You can also find probiotics in supplement form.

Other Possible Natural Remedies for Warts:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Garlic
• Baking soda
• Colloidal silver
• Oregano oil
• Zinc

Check out our home remedies for warts post for even more solutions. And if you have your own natural remedy for warts, be sure to comment with it below.

Additional Sources:

University of Maryland Medical Center