Warts on the feet are caused by an infection, and are both uncomfortable and unsightly. The type of warts that appear on feet are known as plantar warts, and while some go away on their own, treatment is often needed. The most common medical treatment is to freeze the warts, leading them to naturally fall off the foot. Many people opt to try natural methods first to treat their warts, and there are numerous folk remedies rumored to be effective. These may or may not work; however, there are some home remedies that have been shown through research to be effective and noninvasive.
Duct Tape
A study conducted in 2002 at the Madigan Army Medical Center, showed that covering warts in duct tape was as effective at treating them as the traditional method used by doctors of freezing them off. Researchers found that using a pumice stone and sanding the warts daily, followed by covering them securely with duct tape, eliminated the warts over time in many patients. The premise behind this method is that the duct tape irritates not only the wart but the surrounding area as well. This in turn prompts the body's natural immune system to try and attack the wart, leading to its elimination.
Garlic
Garlic is a tested and proven method of removing warts, according to research published in July 2005 in the International Journal of Dermatology. In a review of this study, Mark Stengler, N.M.D., explains that within the study, patients applied liquid garlic extract to their warts twice a day, and within a month, every patients' warts disappeared. This method has very few side effects, and these are typically limited to mild skin irritation, redness and blistering of the area where the garlic was applied to. Additional research into this method has also shown that applying garlic cloves instead of garlic extract was as effective in treating warts.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil, scientifically known as melaleuca alternifolia, is a powerful antiseptic and an immuno-stimulant. It is used in a wide variety of ways, from a house cleaning product to a medication to treat bacterial and fungal infections. Doctors Millar and Moore, from the Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, conducted a study in which they used tea tree oil, applied topically, to treat warts in children. The results showed that this was an effective method, and could be used as an alternative to freezing warts off.
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