Home remedies for Warts

Warts are small benign growths on the skin, caused by a variety of related, slow acting viruses HPV (human papilloma virus). There are at least sixty known types of HPV. Warts may appear singly or in clusters. I will write about three types of warts; common warts, plantar warts and genital warts.

Common Warts
Common warts can be found anywhere on the body, but are most common on the hands, fingers, elbows, forearms, knees, face, and the skin around the nails.

Most often, they occur on the skin that is exposed to constant friction, trauma or abrasion. They can also occur on the larynx (the voice box) and cause hoarseness.

Common warts may be flat or raised, dry or moist, and have a rough and pitted surface that is either the same colour as, or slightly darker than the surrounding skin.

They can be as small as a pinhead or as large as a small bean. Highly contagious, the virus that causes common warts is acquired through breaks in the skin.

Common warts can spread if they are picked, trimmed, bitten or touched and warts on the face can be spread as a result of shaving.

Common warts typically do not cause pain or itching.

Plantar Warts
Plantar warts occur on the soles of the feet and the underside of the toes. They are bumpy white growths that may resemble calluses, except that they can be tender to the touch and often bleed if the surface is trimmed. They also, often have an identifiable hard centre. Plantar warts do not tend to spread to other parts of the body.

Genital Warts
Genital warts are soft, moist growths found in and around the vagina, anus, penis, groin and scrotum. In men, they can grow in the urethra as well. They are usually pink or red in colour and resemble tiny heads of cauliflower. Genital warts most often occur in clusters, but they can appear singly as well. They are transmitted through vaginal, oral or anal intercourse, and are highly contageous. Because the warts do not usually appear until three months or more after an individual becomes infected with the HPV that causes them, the virus can spread before the carrier is even aware that he or she has it.

Although genital warts are not cancerous, they appear to cause changes in the cervix that may be a precursor of cervical cancer. An infant born to a mother with genital warts may contract the virus.

If you have genital warts, you are not alone. Since the start of the ‘sexual revolution’ in the sixties onwards, reported occurences of these warts increased tenfold. By the 1990’s, one million cases a year was reported in the United States alone. I have no further data for the years since.

Recommended remedies

Fresh Aloe vera juice. Apply directly to the wart to dissolve it and tone the surrounding skin.

Protolytic enzymes. Papaya (papain), Pineapple (bromelain), banana peel and figs contain enzymes that digest and dissolve warts in a safe manner.

The fresh plant, sap (figs) or concentrate (papain) can be applied; any of these can be taped to the skin for several hours.

The milky juice from the stem of the Dandelion flower stalk applied directly to the wart will often clear them.

The tincture of Thuja is a much used remedy for warts employed in Homoeopathic medicine.

Milkweed, a North American plant is widely spread across North America; the fresh milky sap of the leaf or stem is applied directly to warts once a day. It usually works dramatically. It is non-irritating and does not affect a normal skin.

Increase the amount of sulpher-containing herbs and aminoacids in your diet by eating more asparagus, citrus fruits, eggs, garlic and onions.

The trained herbalist has a larger armamentum of herbs he can use. Many of them are listed under the class of herbs known as escharotics. If used incorrectly they can damage the skin and cause untold harm. Do not use these herbs without consulting a trained herbalist.