subject: The Wart Challenge [print this page] Warts are stubborn little buggers that are hard to get rid of. You have to kill the core or root of the wart to keep it from coming back. Doctors can cut warts out, or burn them with chemicals or by freezing them; often requiring several visits to their office.
Many prefer a do-it-yourself approach to getting rid of warts. There are many over the counter remedies available that try to burn warts off. A better way to treat them yourself is through the use of natural essential oils.
A natural essential oil with anti-viral properties will kill a wart over time. Cypress, Lemon, Lavender, Melissa, Oregano, Thyme, Tansy and Tea Tree oil all work well. These all work to burn the wart, but will also burn the surrounding skin, so care must be taken to keep the oil only on the wart.
Adults should use the oils straight. For children under 12, dilute the natural essential oil in Apple cider vinegar; using 5 drops of oil in 2 teaspoons vinegar. Apply to the wart using a Q-tip and avoid getting it on the surrounding skin. Sometimes you can use a dropper and just touch the tip of the dropper to the wart without squeezing it, as even one drop can be too much for a small wart.
Warts are pernicious, and you have to keep at them until the core or root is completely gone, or they will just come back. The best time to work on your wart is right after a bath or shower when the skin has softened. Scrape off as much of the hard, dead surface as you can, then re-apply your natural essential oil.
Smothering a wart can also kill it. Try covering it with something like duct tape, but don't remove the tape for several weeks. This method works best for warts on hands.
Warts on the feet, usually Plantar warts, are much harder to get rid of. Cutting a small piece of garlic the size of the wart and taping or bandaging it securely to cover the wart can burn difficult warts. Doing this overnight can be particularly helpful, but some find this method painful.
No matter which method you choose, the key to getting rid of warts is persistence. Remember to cut or scrape off the dead parts of the wart before re-applying your chosen remedy. You can use tweezers to pull out as much of the core as you can, and then cut it off. It can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months to completely get rid of a wart, so don't give up!
