Warts are the thickened skin area that forms due to the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is also responsible for cold sores and genital herpes. There are more than 100 types of HPV and some warts, like plantar warts on the foot, are difficult to treat, while children's facial warts may clear up on their own relatively quickly. Because no wart treatment is effective all the time, and sometimes repeated treatments don't get results, it may be just as well to go with a home remedy once you are sure you have a wart and not something more serious, like skin cancer.
Do Nothing
Most warts go away on their own, with no after effects, according to the Mayo Clinic. It may take months, or even years, but they cause no harm or pain and if left unscathed, won't spread.
Duct Tape
The working man's friend has been shown to be effective in treating warts in a study reported by the Mayo Clinic. Simply cover the wart with a small piece of duct tape and leave it undisturbed for days at a time. On a child's face, you could cut the tape in a star or heart shape to make it a fun "face painting" experience.
Folk Remedies
Try folk remedies like vitamin E oil, clove oil, aloe vera juice or milkweed juice. What doesn't work for one person may work for another. Taking off the dead skin covering the wart with an emery board (while being careful not to break the live skin), which will make it easier for any application to get to the root of the wart.
Member Comments