Verruca vulgaris, Warts, Rash on skin, Skin diseases, Skin allergies, Skin disorder.
Root Cause of Disease
Warts are caused by an infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus causes an excess amount of keratin, a hard protein, to develop in the top skin layer (epidermis). The extra keratin produces the rough, hard texture of a wart. Essentially an infectious benign skin tumor, a wart is composed of an abnormal proliferation of cells of the epidermis; the overproduction of these cells is caused by the viral infection.
Symptoms
Common warts usually occur on your fingers or hands and may be:
- Small, fleshy, grainy bumps
- Rough to the touch
- Sprinkled with black pinpoints, which are small, clotted blood vessels
Warts vary in appearance. They may look:
- Dome-shaped
- Flat
- Rough
- Skin-colored, brown, gray or black
When to see a doctor?
See your doctor for common warts if:
- The growths are painful or change in appearance or color.
- You’ve tried treating the warts, but they persist, spread or recur.
- The growths are bothersome and interfere with activities.
- You aren’t sure whether the growths are warts.
- You are an adult and numerous warts begin to appear, which may indicate the immune system is malfunctioning.
Causes
When the human papillomavirus (HPV) enters a cut in the skin, it causes a skin infection that forms warts. Warts are very contagious. The virus can spread from person to person or from different parts of the body through:
- Direct contact with a wart.
- Touching something contaminated with the virus, such as towels, doorknobs and shower floors.
- Sexual intercourse (genital warts).
- Nail biting and cuticle picking.
- Shaving.
What are the types of warts?
Wart types vary depending on the affected body part. Types include:
Hands: These warts are called common warts because they are the most common type.
Face: Flat warts affect the face and forehead.
Feet: Plantar warts appear on the soles of the feet. These warts look like calluses with tiny black dots in the center. They are often painful and form in clusters.
Genitals: Warts that form on the penis, vagina or rectum are called genital warts. These warts are a type of sexually transmitted infection. You get genital warts through sexual contact with an infected person.
Periungual and subungual: These warts form under or around fingernails and toenails.
Home Remedies to treat Warts
Remedy – 1: Banana Peel
Materials: Banana peel
Procedure:
Anecdotal evidence suggests that banana peel might help get rid of warts. However, there’s not actually any research linking banana peels to the treatment of warts or viral skin infections, nor is there scientific evidence that banana peels fight HPV.
If you want to try it, cut a piece of banana peel and tape it over the wart before bed, so that the inner part of the peel is touching your skin. Leave on while you sleep and repeat daily.
Remedy – 2: Apple cider vinegar
Materials: Apple cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an acidic substance made from fermented apple juice. It’s thought to work like salicylic acid, a common wart treatment that peels away infected skin, eventually removing the wart. Vinegar also has natural antimicrobial properties that may help fight HPV, but more studies are necessary.
Procedure:
- To try it, mix 2-parts apple cider vinegar and 1-part water. Soak a cotton ball with this mixture. Place it on the wart, and cover it with a bandage. Leave it on for three to four hours.
- Always dilute apple cider vinegar with water. The acidity may cause irritation and chemical burns. Also, don’t apply it on open wounds.
Product link: Apple cider Vinegar
Remedy – 3: Garlic
Materials: Garlic
Garlic has a long history of being used to heal skin conditions like psoriasis, keloid scars, and corns. It’s also used for bacterial, fungal, and viral infections such as warts. In an older 2014 study, garlic extract got rid of warts within four weeks. The warts didn’t come back. Allicin, a key component of garlic, has antimicrobial effects and is often studied for its antiviral and immunomodulating properties.
Procedure:
To treat warts with garlic, crush up 1 clove and mix it with water. Apply to the wart and cover with a bandage. Repeat daily for three to four weeks. You can also apply garlic juice or rub a clove on the wart.
Remedy – 4: Orange peel
Materials: Orange peel
- Another popular wart remedy is orange peel. It’s an inexpensive option, but there isn’t scientific data to back it up.
- This remedy involves rubbing an orange peel on the wart once a day. Supposedly, the wart will change color, darken, then fall off. This may take two weeks or more.
Other Remedies
Some natural treatments can dry warts, leading to their extinction. Among the most used are:
- Anointing them with prepared fluid from celandine stem, or a soak in lemon zest, anointing with fruit vinegar, and white chalk.
- Another cure is grinding the medicinal plant “Delphinium Consolida” and applying it on the affected area.
- Castor oil applied to warts does wonders, leading to their disappearance. This treatment should last about 30 minutes a day until the wart withdraws.
Baking soda
Usually, this natural cure is recommended as a paste with castor oil or vinegar oil. You need to mix one teaspoon of white vinegar with enough baking soda to make a thick paste. You need to use this home remedy two times per day, until you have noticed that your common warts are gone. Baking soda has anti – inflammatory and antiseptic properties, which can help to destroy common warts.
Pineapple juice
This home remedy is highly acidic and it has dissolving enzymes, which can help to destroy the common warts. You need to soak your common wart in pineapple for 3 – 5 minutes and do this natural treatment 2 or 3 time per day. You should remember that when you apply this home remedy at first can sting, but this stinging sensation will pass away. It is noticed that this home remedy can help to boost your immune system, so you try this home remedy.
Aloe Vera
You need to coat a common wart in Aloe Vera, two times per day. You can buy it from a store or you can extract it from a plant. You need to cover it with a bandage and wait for the anti – inflammatory properties of Aloe Vera to work. After two weeks, you can notice that the common warts have disappeared due to the health benefits of Aloe Vera.
Basil
This natural cure has anti – viral properties, which can help to destroy viruses and this makes the basil one of the best home remedies for common warts. You need to crush one – quarter cup of basil leaves, until they make a mushy consistency. You should apply this home remedy to the affected area and cover it with bandage. You need to re – apply this natural cure on daily basis in a period of one to two weeks.
Preventions
To reduce your risk of common warts:
- Avoid direct contact with warts. This includes your own warts.
- Don’t pick at warts. Picking may spread the virus.
- Don’t use the same emery board, pumice stone or nail clipper on your warts as you use on your healthy skin and nails. Use a disposable emery board.
- Don’t bite your fingernails. Warts occur more often in skin that has been broken. Nibbling the skin around your fingernails opens the door for the virus.
- Groom with care. And avoid brushing, clipping or shaving areas that have warts. If you must shave, use an electric razor.
- Wear flip-flops or shoes when using a public locker room, pool area or showers.
