Warts are taken as the second most common dermatological problem after acne. It is the fleshy, hard and grainy benign skin tumors (noncancerous skin growths) anywhere on the body and in any number. The ones that occur on the bottom of feet and is known as plantar warts and in hands are known as palmer warts, which is different from genital warts.
It is caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). These warts are not harmful and are also not malignant like moles or lesions but can sometimes be a little painful or cause irritation. This also is transmittable from person to person through cuts or breaks. It takes about 2 years for it to go away without doing anything.
Doctors treat warts by freezing it with liquid nitrogen, with laser or surgery or immune boosters. Many testimonies from people can also be found in many websites with praises on the effectiveness of treatment. Along with this people also are found using the famous home remedy for warts i.e apple cider vinegar.
This process has been recommended by people as the best, most inexpensive and quickest home remedy. The method is simple and only requires few materials. Though it helps in removing warts, it doesn’t remove the virus from the body. The acidic nature of mixture helps peel off the wart from the skin.
Materials Required to Removal of Warts with Apple Cider Vinegar
- Apple Cider Vinegar (100% organic)
- Cotton balls (sterile)
- Band-Aids
- Petroleum jelly (Vaseline)
- Duct tape
Procedure of Removal of Warts with Apple Cider Vinegar
Step 1
Clean the area around wart and the wart itself with water and make sure there are no cuts or breaks on the skin around it. Wash your hands thoroughly too. If there are cuts, new warts might form in that area.
Step 2
Apply petroleum jelly to the skin around the wart, avoiding the wart, as apple cider vinegar burns healthy skin too. Petroleum jelly protects skin from getting in contact with apple cider vinegar.
Step 3
Pour some apple cider vinegar into a cotton ball so that it gets thoroughly soaked. Then put soaked cotton balls all around the wart covering it totally from all sides. If warts are bigger in size you might need more cotton and apple cider vinegar.
Step 4
Place a Band-Aid over the cotton ball, and secure it with medical tape so that it doesn’t move. But the first layer should be Band-Aid.
Step 5
Keep the cotton with apple cider throughout the night. Change the covering daily until the wart turns black in color. It might throb, swell and pain while turning black.
Step 6
Peel off the black colored wart when it is ready to come out. It takes about a week or some days more. Continue for some days even after it comes out to make sure it doesn’t return. Let the peeling off happen naturally and do not remove it on your own like cutting it off as it might grow again from there.
Things to Remember While Using Apple Cider Vinegar
- The side effect of using apple cider vinegar for treating warts is the pain that is involved in it. For many pain doesn’t occur, but for some it might cause severe pain, which can last for few hours to many days. The pain goes away after 4 to 5 days mostly.
- Make sure you properly dispose off all the things used in the process everyday so that the virus is not transferred to somebody else or some other parts of your body.
- You should be careful while using this method for plantar warts as it might affect your mobility for days and also while using it on children. You should also consider its effects while using it on face as you can get scars or if you have low pain tolerance. Removing it from eyes should never be done, instead consult a doctor.
- Warts can be dangerous sometimes and can be a symptom of cancer, so you should see a doctor if it is painful, changes color or appearance, multiplies, reoccurs at the same place, if you have diabetes, weakened immune system due to HIV, immune system disorders or immune suppressing drugs or if you suspect it to be something other than warts.
- Similarly, genital warts are sexually transmitted disease that is caused by the same virus but cannot be treated the same way as they show different characteristics. Doctors must be consulted as soon as possible in the case of genital warts.
This process is only a home remedy, and not medical process. Consult a doctor if you face any problems with it.