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Edited by Jan Margery Castillo, Graeme, Eng, Lynn and 2 others
You don't have to live with unsightly warts on your skin. These seemingly innocent HPV (human papillomavirus) do way more harm than good. Though 60-70 percent of warts are harmless and will eventually go away even without treatment, know that more than 70 percent of cervical cancer is caused by HPV (venereal warts) found on female genitalia. The body's immune system can knock out the virus the same way it gets rid of common colds. If you like to help your system to accelerate the process a bit, why not find out about natural ways and home remedies for safe wart removal?
What's Up With Warts
A wart is typically a small, benign skin growth or tumor that most frequently grows on a person's hands or feet. It is caused by a strain of virus called the HPV or human papillomavirus. The virus stimulates keratin, a hard protein layer found on the skin, to be produced at an unusually fast rate. There are myriad known types of HPV and about 30 can cause warts to grow in the genital area.
They may manifest different physical appearances depending on which part of the body it is growing on and how thick the skin is. For instance, one wart may look flat and smooth, but there are warts that can also appear like a bump with a rough texture. There are blood vessels that supply it with oxygen and nutrients. Severe cases of warts can cause the deformation of skin lines and creases. A wart that grows on the sole of the foot is referred to as a verruca.
Warts are infectious. They can be transmitted from one person to another either through direct contact, or indirectly by sharing personal stuff like towels. The virus enters the skin or epidermis through cuts or openings.
The Different Types of Warts
Know the different types of warts that can cause unsightly growths. Not all are harmless and inconspicuous; some types can cause you discomfort and grow to a very large size. Among those you need to be worried about are the genital warts. These are primarily transmitted through intimate sexual contact. Aside from genital warts, there are about five other major types.
- 1Verruca Vulgaris or Common Warts:These warts are the rough type with thickened bumps known as plaques and papules. They are gray-brown in color and dome-shaped. These grow anywhere particularly in the hands - fingers, knuckles, and elbows, as well as on knees. You may see dark dots that are actually blood vessels with tiny clots.
- 2Verruca Plana or Plane Warts:These are flat, smooth, round warts that grow on the soles of the feet and cause pain when you walk. They appear yellowish or brownish, are quite common among young kids and can grow on their face, legs and hands.
- 3Verruca Filiformis or Filiform Warts:This type is unmistakable because of the long and narrow appearance and the skin-toned, thread-like growths sticking out of these warts. These grow on the face - nose, eyelids, around the mouth or beard area - and in the armpits.
- 4Verrucas or Plantar Warts:This type mostly appear on the soles, heels, and toes of the feet. They have the tendency to grow backward into the skin because one's weight can push onto the sole of the foot. The location makes walking excruciating. Verrucas typically have a black dot (blood vessel) in the middle of a white, hardened area.
- 5Periungual and Mosaic Warts:These are characteristically rough warts growing in clusters.
- Periungual are those that grow under and around the nails, on hands and feet. ##Mosaic warts grow on the palm of the hands and feet.
Treatments for Warts
Even when warts are relatively harmless, they can cause emotional pain or trauma. Some people become very stressed by the look of the warts or the idea that they're there. Read on to learn some effective ways to treat warts.
Natural and Safe Wart Removal Home Remedies
The growth of warts is a sign that the immune system is weak, which is why pregnant women and children make easy targets for HPV. Thus, battling warts entails prophylactic boosting of the immune system and using of botanicals to eradicate the virus and treat the wart. If the wart is not causing you undue pain or is not spreading, a strong immune system is enough to fight it off. Here are some home remedies to for safe wart removal for you to try:
- 1A strong immune system will help prevent, growth and the spread of the HPV. Living a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet, exercising, and sleeping well and getting plenty of rest are important in boosting the immune system. Taking Echinacea will also help to boost your immune system.Boost your immune system.
- 2Stay dry.Avoid damp or wet environments if you have issues with warts, particularly the painful type - plantar warts. Change your socks after playing sports or after any vigorous activities.
- 3Since HPV can find their way through skin cuts and scratches, it is important to cover them.Keep your cuts and scrapes covered.
- 4Protect your feet.Always wear shoes. People infected with warts leak HPV everywhere they go - pools, hotel carpets, shared showers, etc., - by the millions. Walking around without wearing protective shoes can unnecessarily expose your feet at risk, or unnecessarily put other people's feet at risk, which is not a kind thing to do.
- 5This means spreading HPV from one part of your body to another. Kids are more vulnerable to the risks of cross-contamination because of nibbling infected nails, easily having cuts and broken skin because of hyperactivity and small accidents.Rule out cross-contamination.
- 6Hands off please.Don't touch or pick at warts, because if you do, you may spread the virus.
- 7This will prevent the spread of the virus to other people in the house or at work.Don't share personal stuff.
- 8Rub it with garlic.Garlic has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Rubbing the wart with a crushed garlic clove twice a day can help treat it.
- 9This essential oil is endowed with powerful antiseptic and bactericidal properties. It can also treat warts; apply it to the warts every day for 7 to 10 days.Apply tea tree oil.
- 10Rub it with banana peels.Peels of bananas have another use - rub them on a growing wart. It may take a while to get rid of the wart, but the spread of the virus can be inhibited this way. You can also put the banana peel on the wart, and wrap it in gauze for a half an hour.
- 11This is applied in the same way as the tea tree oil. Dab the essential oil directly on the wart until the wart has been eradicatedDab with essential lemon oil.
- 12Massage the castor oil.This oil can be applied and massaged on the wart for days or weeks to successfully treat the warts. Usually it will take about three weeks of massage to complete the process.
- 13Dip a piece of cotton in apple cider vinegar, and then directly apply it on the wart. Do this twice a day or until the wart has been removed.Swab it with apple cider vinegar (ACV).
- 14Apply baking soda paste.First make a paste by mixing baking soda and water. Keep the wart covered with tape or a bandage during the treatment process.
- 15.Cleansing with hydrogen peroxide. You may want to clean the wart using 10% hydrogen peroxide (H202), a common wound cleanser in most homes. Use of other home remedies can be more effective when combined with hydrogen peroxide.
- 16Gel it with Aloe Vera sap.
- Slice a leaf of an Aloe Vera plant.
- Spoon the sap/gel of Aloe Vera and apply it directly to the wart.
- Cover the wart using tape or a bandage.
- Repeat the process several times during the day until the wart falls off.
- 17Aspirin is rich in salicylic acid. It can be mashed and applied directly to the wart. As usual, cover it to keep the mashed aspirin in place.Mashed aspirin.
- 18Squeeze the sap from a dandelion.This herb has properties that can diminish and inhibit the growth and spread of wart.
- Get the sap by breaking the dandelion stem.
- Apply this sap or extract to the wart.
- 19Duct tape.
- This can be placed directly over the wart and left there for about six days.
- Before removing, soak the wart in water before using pumice stone or emery board to rub off the softened wart.
- 20Make sure it's the right plant. You'll know because when you break the stem, or look at the roots, you'll notice the sap is very orange. Dab the warts with the sap from the stem, and cover. Make sure you only dab the sap on the wart/s, it can aggravate healthy skin.Greater Celandine.
Medical Treatments for Warts
Consider seeing a doctor for wart treatment if the wart is causing you pain, is changing its appearance, bleeds easily, or it's spreading quickly to the other parts of your body. If you want the wart taken off for medical or cosmetic reasons, ask your doctor about safe procedures. Generally, one or a combination treatment may be recommended:
- 1Salicylic acid.This is an OTC product that can treat warts within three months. Soak the wart in water for about five minutes before applying the acid. It can, however, destroy the healthy skin. So, protect the surrounding skin with petroleum jelly or a corn plaster before applying salicylic acid. Rub off the wart with a pumice stone or emery board. Do not use on the face.
- 2This is a medical procedure that makes use of a very cold liquid, which is sprayed onto the wart, freezing and destroying the cells in the process. This is performed exclusively by healthcare professionals and may require the use of a local anesthetic. An OTC equivalent is sold in pharmacies (dimethyl-ether/propane spray); it should not be used on the face.Cryotherapy.
- 3Laser treatment/photodynamic therapy.The wart is removed using a laser beam. This is generally recommended for hard-to-treat warts. In photodynamic therapy, a chemical is used before it is activated by light, usually laser light, to eradicate the wart cells.
- 4This is a medical procedure in which the wart is burned using an electric current.Electrocautery.
- 5Chemical treatments to avoid.You can buy these with a prescription - glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, and podophyllin. Be careful that these are just applied only on the wart, and not on the skin around it.
- 6This is an invasive procedure that is resorted to only when all else has failed. This is generally performed under local or general anesthetic. Big warts are cut out while smaller warts may be removed using a curette.Invasive surgery.
- 7Antigen shots and immunotherapy.The procedure is intended to stimulate the immune system to recognize the wart and to fend it off. It leaves no scars unlike surgery.
- 8This is a derivative of vitamin A that can disrupt the growth of warts.Retinoids.
- 9Bleomycin (Blenoxane).This is a medicine that is used to treat cancer. It can be injected directly into warts, which kills the HPV.
Tips, Tricks & Warnings
There are certain things to remember insofar as warts are concerned.
- First, you do not need to be pestered by them.
- Second, a healthy lifestyle and strong immune system are the best ways to prevent the growth of these skin outgrowths.
- Third, there are safe, inexpensive and natural ways to get rid of them.
- And fourth, you can also seek medical help if you want to accelerate the process and you have the budget.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
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Categories : Skin Care & Diseases
Recent edits by: Nuance, Lynn, Eng
