Removing a wart can be a bit of a challenge. While they are common enough life occurrences, they can cause us some embarrassment as they are somewhat unsightly. While you can certainly go and see your doctor about warts, there are things you can do at home to help yourself at very little cost.
It's always best to know the enemy before tackling him, so first let's see what warts really are.
A wart is a very simple and very harmless infection caused by the HPV or human papillomavirus. HPV is prevalent wherever humans are, so there is no point trying to avoid it.
HPV infections are very contagious and easily spread from person to person through normal skin contact. You can even contract the HPV virus through shared clothing or footwear.
Quite commonly, warts are spread through sexual contact. Genital warts pose special challenges for treatment, so I would urge you to see a doctor if you think you have genital warts. Not the least of the reasons for seeing a doctor straight away is that some more serious STD's may be mistaken for genital warts.
Aside from certain risks around the diagnosis of genital warts, normal garden variety warts are nothing to worry about. They are likely to appear as small raised bumps on the skin, and may be somewhat colored and are often a bit rough in texture. Warts on the sole of the foot, called plantar warts, tend to be flat and white in appearance, but are no different in reality than other skin warts.
To treat warts at home simply and easily, here are two methods you can try.
Duct tape is an easily obtained non-permeable plastic tape available at any hardware store. If you clean and dry the affected area of skin and then apply a small piece of duct tape, you will starve your wart of air.
Many believe that by suffocating the wart, so to speak, you can kill it quite naturally. Change the tape daily and keep the area clean. Use a pumice to remove any dead skin that accumulates, and have patience.
After a week or ten days, decide if you are happy with the progress you are making. If so, continue this treatment. If not, then try this next remedy.
Apple cider vinegar is easily obtained in many supermarkets. It is highly acidic, and as such many believe in its natural antiseptic powers. Many wind musicians and singers gargle regularly with apple cider vinegar to keep away throat and other respiratory infections.
For warts, try either diluting the cider vinegar in warm water, or warm it up and apply undiluted. Either way, always keep your skin very clean, and apply two or three times a day.
This may take you a few weeks to see a result, but many swear by it. If you are not satisfied with the result, then talk to your local druggist. He or she will have several inexpensive options to offer you to help you remove warts.
Finally, if all else fails, by all means see your doctor. Keep in mind, though, that warts are unsightly and a bit embarrassing, but no one ever died from a wart. At the end of the day, your warts may even cure themselves, especially in children.
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