Warts are a common problem, especially among children. Usually they are harmless but unsightly growths on the hands, but can also occur on the feet, face and other areas. They are caused by the HPV virus and can be transmitted by touch. My grandmother had several home remedies for warts and would try them in sequence until one was successful.
Remove warts with tape. My grandmother’s favorite home remedy used adhesive tape. She would cover the wart securely with several layers of adhesive tape, being careful not to have the tape too tight. The object is to eliminate all air from contacting the wart. Leave the tape on for five days, remove it for several hours, and then cover again for another five days. Hopefully the wart will disappear within four weeks. Several years later she began using duct tape and had even better results. This is a good procedure for children as they cannot pick at it or touch it during the treatment.
Remove the wart with castor oil. This works well to remove warts on the face, back of the hand or other flat surfaces. She would apply castor oil with a cotton swab three times a day. Again it takes about four weeks for the wart to disappear.
Remove the wart with hot water. For warts on the hands or feet, soak the part in water as hot as comfortable. Be careful to not burn yourself. This must be done two or three times a day and takes several weeks to work. Actually this method was not often successful, probably because most children will not follow it long enough.
Remove the wart with dandelion milk. Break off the dandelion stem and smear the milky fluid inside on the wart several times a day. The wart should shrivel and disappear within a week. Of course dandelions can only be obtained in the summer. My grandmother then covered the wart with a band aid or tape to keep it soft.
Remove the wart with iodine. Apply iodine to the wart several times a day, and let it dry. It should soften the wart which then will fall off within about a week.
Remove the wart with aspirin. She would crush an aspirin tablet and make a paste with a drop of water. Apply the paste to the wart and cover with tape. The wart should fall off with a week.
As a child my warts were embarrassing. My grandmother used several of these home remedies at various times and most were successful. Now we know that salicylic acid is the basis of most wart removers. The other methods rely on softening the wart, which will also make it fall off. Of course, if the warts spread or become infected, you must see a doctor.
