If this happens to you, you can still use the remedy, but the rash may persist. If you do, only leave the crushed garlic on for an hour at a time. It may also take longer to get rid of the wart. A study where children’s warts were treated with garlic found that 100% of the warts were cleared with no significant side effects other than complaints of the smell and once instance of mild skin irritation. Another study used a lipid, or fat, extract of garlic on both warts and corns. They studied 42 patients of various ages and found 100% recovery in all the patients with the warts. It is believed that the main anti-viral component of garlic, a substance known as allicin, is the chemical which is working on warts, but little research to substantiate this claim has been done. [1] X Research source Silverberg, N. B. (2002). Garlic cloves for verruca vulgaris. Pediatric Dermatology, 19(2), 183. [2] X Research source Dehghani, F. , Merat, A. , Panjehshahin, M. R. , & Handjani, F. (2005). Healing effect of garlic extract on warts and corns. International Journal Of Dermatology, 44(7), 612-615.
Wash any cloth material that came into contact with the wart in hot, soapy water. You can also bleach the towels to make sure you kill off any wart virus. [3] X Research source
Make sure you don’t have any open cuts or wounds in the area. The garlic can burn and the wart virus may spread to the area. [5] X Research source
You can also use duct tape to wrap the wound. This helps it stay dry. However, this can irritate other areas of your skin. [6] X Research source Repeat the garlic remedy daily for at least 3-4 weeks. Most people begin to see the wart getting smaller within 6-7 days. It may look pruney and wrinkled after removing the bandage and washing away the garlic. It will also look paler than before. If you don’t see any improvement, see your physician to see if something else is going on.
Do not rub hard enough to draw blood. Also be careful not to touch any unaffected skin with the emery board. If you are dealing with a plantar wart, keep your foot over the bathtub or over a small plastic tub. Make sure and wash away any of the infected skin you have rubbed off. Wash everything in the sink or into the tub. You don’t want to get re-infected. Throw away the used emery board. [7] X Research source
As with the garlic method, use a disposable emery board to file away the excess skin of the wart between applications.
Between applications, use a disposable emery board to file away the skin. [8] X Research source
Use a disposable emery board to file away the wart between treatments. [9] X Research source He, W. , Han, H. , Wang, W. , and Gao, B. Anti-influenza virus effect of aqueous extracts from dandelion. Virol. J 2011, 8: 538 [10] X Research source Yang, Y. , Zhao, Y. , Wang, C. S. , Wang, X. D. , and Zhang, L. [Prevalence of sensitization to aeroallergens in 10 030 patients with allergic rhinitis]. Zhonghua Er. Bi Yan. Hou Tou. Jing. Wai Ke Za Zhi 2011; 46(11): 914-920.
In addition, banana peels contain carotenoids, which are the substances from which Vitamin A can be synthesized. Vitamin A has anti-viral effects. Between applications, use a disposable emery board to file away the wart. [11] X Research source Pereira A, Maraschin M. ,Banana (Musa spp) from peel to pulp: ethnopharmacology, source of bioactive compounds and its relevance for human health. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Feb 3; 160: 149-63
Between applications, use a disposable emery board to file away the skin.
Avoid getting the medicine on any other portion of your skin. To help the acid work better, soak and file down your wart so the medicine can soak deeper into your skin. You can get a stronger concentration of Salicylic acid by prescription. [14] X Research source [15] X Research source
A recent study has suggested that the freezing method may be more effective in getting rid of warts within 2 months. [18] X Research source
Leave the wart uncovered overnight or up to 24 hours. Reapply the duct tape for 6-7 days. Repeat the process as often as necessary for up to 2 months. You can apply onion or garlic juice on the wart before putting on the duct tape. In one study, duct tape actually worked better that freezing the warts off. [19] X Research source [20] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Dermatology Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source [21] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Family Physicians Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities Go to source
Some people seem more likely to get warts than others. You are at higher risk for warts if you have a suppressed or less effective immune system. [23] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Dermatology Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source
Generally, warts can be diagnosed by a physician without a skin sample based on where they are and what they look like.
Make sure you see your healthcare professional to make sure you are dealing with a common wart. If you have warts around your genitals or around your anus, you should see your physician to determine what specific form of virus is causing the warts. [24] X Research source
Make sure you see your healthcare professional to make sure you are dealing with a common wart. If you have warts around your genitals or around your anus, you should see your physician to determine what specific form of virus is causing the warts. [24] X Research source
Keep in mind that some skin cancers can look like a wart, so it’s important that you’re sure what you have is actually a wart. [26] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
As an example, a wart might interfere with your daily activities if you have trouble gripping a pencil or pen because of a wart on your finger. This would make it hard to write. Changes in appearance might include getting larger, surface changes, or color changes. If your wart is changing, it’s possible that it may actually be skin cancer, so it’s best to get it checked by a doctor. [28] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
In rare cases, you may have multiple warts appear on your body at the same time. If you’re an adult and this happens, see your doctor to find out why. It’s possible your immune system is having an issue.
It’s very difficult to get rid of warts if you have a poor immune system, since your body can’t fight the wart virus as well. Medical treatment can help. In some cases, you may have poor sensation in your hands and feet due to diabetes. If this is the case for you, you may not notice pain or injury to the wart during treatment, which can occur if the treatment is applied incorrectly. [31] X Research source
Prescription-strength salicylic acid removes the wart layer-by-layer. Your doctor may prescribe this treatment alone or with cryotherapy. Cryotherapy involves freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen. A blister will form under and around the wart, which helps slough off the wart. However, you may experience discomfort, discoloration, and blistering. Trichloroacetic acid can be used in office to treat the wart after your doctor scrubs off the top layer of skin. This treatment can cause discomfort and may require several applications. Your doctor likely won’t recommend it unless nothing else works. Surgery can remove a wart that is really bothering you, such as one on your face. Your doctor will cut away the wart, which may result in minor scarring. Laser treatments can cut off blood supply to the wart, causing it to die. However, this treatment may cause discomfort and scarring.
