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Natural Home Remedies to Banish Warts

2 min read

By Catherine Roberts

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Jenny Liu, MD

There it is again—that embarrassing wart on the side of your thumb. You’ve tried numerous over-the-counter remedies to no avail. Why not give these home remedies a try and banish that unsightly blemish for good?

Salicylic Acid

You can find this in over-the-counter wart treatments. This helps thin out the wart and causes local irritation to purposely generate an immune response which allows the body to fight the virus. When paired with duct tape it can work even better.

Duct Tape

I’ve personally had some luck with duct tape. I cut a small piece from the roll and place it over my warts for a number of days. Studies show that the duct tape will irritate the wart, which propels the immune system to attack the virus and speed up the destruction of the wart-infected tissues.

Vinegar Compress

Dip a cotton ball or compress in a mixture of vinegar and lukewarm water and tape it directly the surface of your wart. Do this on a nightly basis and sleep with the compress on for at least 2 to 4 hours nightly for the most effective treatment.

Don’t Pick or Scratch

Refrain from picking or scratching at a wart no matter how tempting or irritated it might be. Breaking it open will make the wart even more contagious as the virus can transfer to someone else or to other areas of your skin. It’s also important to keep the wart dry in order to lower the risk of contagiousness.

MD, Board-Certified Dermatologist and Assistant Professor of Dermatology

Dr. Jenny Liu is a board-certified dermatologist and an assistant professor in the Twin Cities. Her academic interests are complex medical dermatology, ethnic dermatology and medical education. She uses her blog and Instagram (@derm.talk) to educate others on all things dermatology and share her own tips and tricks regarding skin care.

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