Common skin warts, characterized by brown or flesh-colored, small, hard growths, can occur anywhere on the body and usually last about two years. The non-cancerous skin growths may be caused by any one of 35 strains of the human papilloma virus. Traditional medical treatments, such as burning, scraping, cutting, injecting or freezing are often painful and may lead to scarring. Although highly contagious and recurrent, skin warts appear harmless and respond well to herbal remedies.
Bloodroot
Bloodroot has a long history as a wart remover. Its rust-colored sap was used by European settlers to treat fungal and viral skin conditions, including athlete's foot and warts. Currently, herbalists use bloodroot for its skin-irritant compounds, chelerythrine and sanguinarine. According to MotherNature.com, it also contains proteolytic enzymes, agents that help dissolve proteins, including wart-infected tissue. Dr. Andrew Weil, author of "Spontaneous Healing," says that chemicals contained in bloodroot paste have the ability to dissolve tough warty tissue.
Squeeze the sap from a fresh plant, apply directly on your warts and cover with a gauze pad. Alternatively, combine 1 tsp. of the dried, powdered root, purchased from a health food store, with a few drops of water to form a paste. Apply directly onto your warts twice daily.
Celandine
Celandine, a member of the poppy family, commonly grows along roadsides and contains many of the same compounds as bloodroot. According to Dr. Linda B. White, author of "The Herbal Drugstore," scientific research indicates that the herb's orange-yellow sap contains alkaloids that combat viruses, bacteria, fungi, tumors, swelling and warts.
Squeeze the sap from the roots or stalks, and apply it directly onto to your warts twice a day. If you don't have fresh celandine, purchase minced, dried root from a health food store, and make a tea. Simmer 2 tsp. of the root in two cups of hot water for 15 minutes. Strain, and dab the tea on your warts with a soaked cotton ball.
Dandelion
Chopped dandelion stems, stalks and leaves were employed by the ancient Chinese to treat breast cancer and other diseases, according to the book "Home Remedies What Works." Current evidence indicates that the common garden herb's milky juice works as a valuable wart weapon. Simply pick a dandelion and squeeze the milky latex out of the stalk. Apply directly onto your warts twice a day until they disappear.
Milkweed
Milkweed, another herb that contains proteolytic enzymes, offers significant results when used as a wart softener and wart inhibitor. Like dandelion, milkweed yields a milky fluid that works well when massaged into the wart two or three times a day.
References
- "The Herbal Drugstore"; Linda B. White, M.D.; 2004
- "Alternative Cures"; Bill Gottlieb; 2000
- "Home Remedies What Works"; Gale Malesky; 1995
- "Spontaneous Healing"; Andrew Weil, M.D.; 2000
- Mother Nature: Warts
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