10 Home Remedies For Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are a very common condition that affect a large number of people. These warts generally occur on the fingers or on the feet, generally on the toes or the sole. They are also referred to as verrucae. Plantar warts are caused by the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV. In most places, plantar warts remain fairly small, but they can spread quite quickly if they are not treated. Some people experience what seem to be large plantar warts—what’s often going on these situations is that a large number of plantar warts have gathered in a single location.
The HPV generally survives well in warm, wet places. People can contract HPV in places like gym changing rooms, swimming pools, and other areas where people’s exposed feet come into contact with the ground. Another common way of spreading HPV is by sharing socks or shoes with someone who has a plantar wart. If you have an open wound or a scratch on your feet or hands, you’re also much more likely to contract the virus.
Since HPV is a virus, anyone can contract it. However, much like other viruses, certain people are more susceptible to catching it. This includes younger children and people who don’t have a very strong immune system. If you’ve had a plantar wart before, then you’re also more likely to develop them again in the future. There are certainly many pharmaceutical products that can be useful for helping to treat plantar warts, but these are often harsh on the skin. Fortunately, there are a number of natural remedies that can be very useful for helping people get rid of their warts. In this article, we’ll detail some of the most accessible home remedies for fighting off plantar warts.
Home Remedy #1: Duct Tape
Duct tape is often cited as the number one home remedy for getting rid of plantar warts, and for good reasons. Applying a piece of duct tape over the affected area will starve the area of oxygen, leading to the wart shrinking. Eventually it will disappear or turn black and fall off.
The neat thing about duct tape is that it can be used in addition to many of the other remedies found on this list. Duct tape acts as an irritant and can add a further degree of wart-fighting action when coupled with things like apple cider vinegar.
Home Remedy #2: Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most powerful home remedies. It’s been used to help treat everything from infections to digestive issues, and yet another one of the things that apple cider vinegar can help to heal is a wart.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply it to the wart, holding it there for 10–15 minutes. Some people find apple cider vinegar to be a bit intense on its own, so it could help to dilute the stuff in some water before soaking the cotton ball into it. For better results, adhere the cotton ball over the wart with duct tape.
Home Remedy #3: Garlic
Garlic is well-known for its ability to help fight viruses. It also works well as an anti-inflammatory. These two factors make it an ideal ingredient for helping people fight warts.
The easiest way to do this is to crush some garlic with a mortar and pestle or any other mechanism, then apply the garlic directly to the wart. You can also swab the local area with garlic to prevent the spread of further warts.
Home Remedy #4: Banana Peel
Banana peels aren’t just useful for slipping and falling on. Some of the compounds in the banana peel, as well as the moisture, can be useful for helping soften warts. The banana peel might not kill the wart on its own, but it will make it easier to peel or scrub off with something like a pumice stone.
Like many of the other remedies on this list, the easiest way to do this is to simply adhere a piece of banana peel on top of the wart with duct tape.
Home Remedy #5: Tea Tree Oil
Many essential oils are powerful medicinal compounds, but few have gained as much recognition as tea tree oil.
One of the easiest ways to get rid of a wart is to put a few drops of tea tree oil onto a cotton ball and duct tape that over your wart. Tea tree oil contains a number of antiviral compounds that will eliminate the wart in no time.
Home Remedy #6: Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid might not be the most natural of home remedies, but chances are that you’ve got some kicking around in your medicine cabinet.
Salicylic acid is often used in different pharmaceuticals that are used to help treat acne, and it can also be very useful for fighting off warts.
Home Remedy #7: Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is another powerful remedy that can be used to help ward off warts. It’s been proven to have antiviral properties and can be useful for warding off HPV.
It can be taken in supplement form to boost your immune system; however, milk thistle extracts can also be applied directly to the wart.
Home Remedy #8: Castor Oil
Castor oil is another home remedy that can be found in most households. It contains a compound known as ricinoleic acid, which is known to be a great anti-inflammatory compound as well as possessing other properties that help to heal or improve the health of the skin.
It might not kill the wart on its own, but it’ll make the healing process easier.
Home Remedy #9: Colloidal Silver
Colloidal silver is relatively easy to find, though it might not be as cheap as some of the other remedies in this list. Regardless, colloidal silver is known to function as a powerful antimicrobial compound and can be useful for helping to get rid of warts.
Apply some to a cotton ball and then apply this to your wart to experience improvement quickly.
Home Remedy #10: Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a plant that’s been touted for some time to be a miracle in regards to helping heal skin conditions.
Yet another thing that aloe vera can help you manage is a plantar wart. It will help to moisturize your skin and soften the area around the wart so it becomes easier to scrape off.
