Some home remedies that help remove common warts, such as those that appear on the skin of the face, arms, hands, legs or feet, include placing tape, tea tree essential oil, apple cider vinegar or nail polish directly on the wart.
Warts are small lesions on the skin caused by the HPV virus and are generally harmless and can appear in people of any age and on any part of the body, such as the face, foot, groin, genital region and hands. Understand better what they are and the types of warts.
Although warts do not cause health problems, some situations, such as skin or vaginal cancer, for example, have lesions similar to warts. Therefore, before starting wart treatment, it is advisable to consult a doctor to identify the possible causes of the lesions. Furthermore, these home remedies should not be used in sensitive places, such as the genital region.
Some home remedy options to remove warts are:
1. Scotch tape
Adhesive tape is a simple and easy option for removing warts naturally, as it not only helps to remove excess skin, but also stimulates the immune system to eliminate the wart more quickly. This treatment is a natural option recommended by the American Dermatology Association.
To carry out this type of treatment, you must cover the wart with adhesive tape, leaving it on for 24 hours a day. If the tape falls off, it is important to apply another one, keeping the tape on for 2 to 3 weeks, until the wart disappears.
When the wart is white and soft, you can rub it with a nail file to remove the outer layer of skin. Afterwards, the tape should be placed again and the wart should be sanded once a week until it disappears.
To avoid contaminating other parts of the body and other people, it is important to throw away the nail file after each use.
2. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil, also known as tea tree oil, is a potent natural antiviral that helps fight viruses, bacteria and fungi. Therefore, this oil is a good natural option for eliminating the HPV virus from the skin and removing warts.
To use this oil, apply a drop directly to the wart, twice a day, and leave it on for as long as possible. In children, or in cases of skin irritation, the essential oil should be diluted in a dessert spoon of vegetable oil, such as almond, coconut or avocado oil, for example. Discover other ways to use tea tree.
3. Propolis extract
Propolis is a resin with antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to having healing action. To obtain the benefits of propolis, simply apply 1 drop of this resin to the wart at night, covering it with micropore tape, and leave it until the morning of the next day. Apply propolis to the lesion daily until the wart is completely removed.
4. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an acidic substance that helps chemically exfoliate the skin, removing excess skin from the wart. Therefore, it can be used as a popular treatment for warts.
To use apple cider vinegar, you must soak a piece of cotton in the vinegar and apply it to the wart overnight. To prevent the cotton from moving out of place, you can use micropore tape to hold it in place.
Since vinegar is acidic and can cause skin irritation, it is important to stop the treatment if redness or discomfort appears. This type of treatment should not be used on the face.
5. Banana helmet
Banana peel has tannins, leukocyanidin and thymidine, bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which fight bacteria and viruses and can help remove warts.
To do this, simply cut a piece of banana peel the same size as the lesion and place the inner part of the peel over the wart. Then, cover the banana peel with adhesive tape and let it rest overnight, removing it at dawn. Do this procedure daily until the wart is eliminated.
6. Nail polish
Colorless nail polish, when applied directly to the area, reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the wart, causing the cells in the lesion to die and, therefore, can help eliminate warts more easily.
However, this type of treatment is not recommended by all dermatologists, and you should consult your doctor before applying nail polish to the wart.