Warts

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the culprit causing warts of whatever variety.  This virus family triggers extra cell growth.  With warts, the outer layer of skin becomes thick and hard.  Unsightly bumps of various sizes appear.  A wart can grow anywhere a person has skin.  However, they are most common on the hands and on the feet.

There are more than 100 different strains of the Human Papillomavirus.  The cellular overgrowth created by some of these strains is cancerous.    For this reason, new warts appearing anywhere should not just be ignored.  If a wart does not respond to treatment – medical or at home varieties – cancer should be suspected and checked for.

Susceptibility

Everyone’s immune system responds differently according to each person’s general immune status and health. Not everyone who encounters a disease entity will fall ill from it.  This holds true for warts just as much as for any other virus.  Generally, children and teens are more susceptible to warts than older people.  Perhaps, the immune systems of younger people simply have not built up enough defenses against the many types of HPV yet.  Persons with chronic illnesses – especially those with chronic skin conditions – are also at greater risk.

Types of Warts

Common Warts

Common warts (verrucae vulgaris) are generally quite small.  They range in size from just a bit larger than the head of a pin to the size of a small pea.  Typically, light gray or flesh-colored, the bump raises above the skin surface.  Sometimes the wart is covered with rough projections that look a bit like little horns.  Sometimes, these warts have dark-colored dots inside.  These dots are referred to, by some, as “seeds.”  They are tiny blood vessels.

Plantar Warts

Plantar warts (verrucae plantaris) almost always grow into the skin, rather than growing outward like common warts.  The name given to these warts is derived from the fact that they typically grow on the plantar surface – the bottom – of the foot.  These warts are most likely to occur in areas of the foot that undergo the most pressure when a person is walking, running, or standing.  The heel or the metatarsal area (the pad just below the toes) are common places for plantar warts.  Perhaps, it is the pressure applied to them by walking or standing that causes these warts to grow inwardly instead of outwardly.

Many people develop only one of these warts.  Other people may develop a cluster of such patches.  Such a cluster is referred to as a mosaic wart.

A plantar wart is tough, thick, and flat.  It is easy to confuse them with calluses.  A plantar wart can be distinguished from a callus by the tiny black dots that usually occur on the surface of the rough patch.  Because they are embedded in the skin, they are more difficult to treat than common warts.  They are warts which means they were created by a virus.  Treatment will need to address this viral aspect.

Flat Warts

Flat warts (verrucae plana) appear, usually, as a patch of small, individual bumps.  These bumps are usually small, ranging from only 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch across.  They are also smoother than other types of warts.  They seem to occur most commonly on the face or the back of the hands.

Activities such as shaving may cause these warts to spread rapidly over the entire face.

Filiform Warts

These are very distinctive-looking warts.  They look like a cluster of spiky little threads.  Filiform warts can be brown, pink, yellow, or flesh colored.  Typically, they form singly rather than in clusters.  They are commonly called facial warts because they most often form on or around the eyelids, lips, or nose.

Usually, these warts do not cause pain.  They can be, however, quite annoying.   If the wart develops in sensitive areas such as skin folds, there may be itching, soreness, irritation, and even a bit of bleeding.

Genital Warts

A blog about warts would not be complete without a mention of genital warts.  Although they are one of the most common types of sexually transmitted infections, they are warts.  However, this blog is meant to cover the more common types of warts listed above that can, quite often, be treated without a visit to a doctor’s office.

As the name suggests, these warts occur on the moist tissues of the genital areas.  They may look like a series of small, flesh-colored bumps.  Sometimes, they have a cauliflower-like appearance.  In many cases, the warts are too small to be visible.  Visible or not, they can be passed on through sexual contact.

How Warts Spread

Warts are highly contagious.

A person need only pick at their warts and then touch another area of their own body to develop warts in new places.  Worse yet, the wart-causing virus may find a new host if the wart-picker touches another person.  The virus that causes warts particularly likes moist, soft places.  Recently shed viruses survive well in warm, moist environments such as locker rooms and showers.  Warts are particularly fond of embedding themselves in patches of irritated or injured skin.  Chronic skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis increase a person’s susceptibility to warts.  The incubation period can be anywhere from one to eight months.

Warts can spread by contact with towels or razors that have been used on wart-infected skin.  Shoes or sandals worn in public places such as spas, pools, and locker rooms can help prevent developing a plantar wart.   This advice is not very practical.  I would rather just deal with a plantar wart than be bothered wearing shoes everywhere.

Treat or Ignore?

Warts are contagious.  In my opinion, they should always be treated to prevent them from spreading to new areas of the body or to another unsuspecting person.

Effective Alternative Treatments

Essential Oils

Tea Tree

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oil has been shown to be effective against some of the nastiest microbes on the planet.  Members of the tea tree family are recognized worldwide as an effective treatment for getting rid of warts.  The only way to kill a virus is to weaken or rupture its protective shell—called a cyst.  Tea tree oil has been shown effective in this capacity.  In addition, tea tree essential oil is a mild tissue re-generator, making it a sensible choice for both eliminating the virus and aiding the skin to rebuild properly.

Niaouli

Niaouli is a member of the melaleuca (tea tree) species.   It has, however, a sweeter, more delicate scent than the alternifolia variety that essential oil users are most familiar with.   According to studies, niaouli is an immune system booster.  Immune system deficiency is a recognized contributor to falling victim to warts.  An essential oil that fights the virus, dissolves the wart, and strengthens the immune system at the same time is a valuable find!

Cinnamon Bark or Clove Bud

These two oils are also considered effective treatment for warts.  They are very strong and should be used diluted with a carrier oil.

Manuka

Manuka is reported to be many times more effective against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria than its close cousins, the many varieties of tea tree (Melaleuca).  This makes me wonder if it is also effective against various virus strains.  No studies, that I could find, have been done, one way or the other, on this topic.  Manuka is also a potent immune system stimulant.

Manuka is found in a butterfly blend called ^LeSimplicity.  ^LeSimplicity is discussed below.

^LeMela Plus 

The blend, ^LeMela Plus contains niaouli – a member of the melaleuca (tea tree) family, the regular alternifolia form of tea tree, as well as clove essential oil.  In addition, ^LeMela Plus contains another member of the melaleuca (tea tree) family, an essential oil called cajeput.   The last three essential oils in this blend are lemon myrtle, mountain savory, and rosemary.   Rosemary is frequently listed as an essential oil effective in the treatment of warts.  Mountain Savory rates very highly as an antioxidant.  Antioxidants are said to inhibit the growth of microbes and – possibly – reduce the risk of cancer.   Lemon Myrtle is a powerful germicidal and, in addition, boosts the immune system.  In the fight against warts – and in many other instances – ^LeMela Plus is a very powerful blend.

^LeDeliverance 

The amazing essential oil blend, ^LeDeliverance, has long been our family “go-to” essential oil blend for getting rid of warts.  It has worked well for us.  With the addition of niaouli, cajeput, and mountain savory to the ^LeMela Plus blend, that is what I will try first the next time this situation arises and I am involved in suggesting a fix.

^LeSimplicity

^LeSimplicity is a blend of potent antiviral oils that target viruses. It is often used to treat cold sores that are a result of the HSV-1 and 2 (Herpes Simplex) viruses.  This virus creeps along the neural pathways and establishes a home-base. ^LeSimplicity kills the viruses at the areas of the outbreak, then follows the same neural pathways that the virus traveled until it reaches the colonies in the nerve bundles to kill it at the source.

How to Use Essential Oils for Warts

Personally, I just put a couple of drops of my chosen essential oil on one of those little round bandages.  I place the bandage over the wart.  Change the bandage, adding new oil, at least a couple of times a day.  I should be emphasized that getting rid of a wart usually takes a long time.  Patience is required.  First, the virus that created the problem must be eradicated.  Second, the wart must dry up and peel off.  It may need a little bit of assistance in order to completely come off.

Soaking the entire area – foot, hand, or whatever – once a day for a while to guarantee that the virus is not “setting up house” in a new place while you are dealing with the first ones is a very good idea.   Apple cider vinegar, diluted with water and with a couple of drops of essential oil added, makes a great soak for warts.

Another Possible Method

This method calls for apple cider vinegar and coconut oil as well as essential oils.  Salicylic acid is a commonly recommended wart treatment.  It is used because it peels away infected and dead skin.  Apple cider vinegar is said to work in much the same way but is far gentler on surround skin.  Apple cider vinegar acts as an astringent.  It may help to dry out the wart and the skin around it so that it can be sloughed off Apple cider vinegar also contains some useful probiotics.  Coconut oil and antimicrobial and antifungal properties.  The coconut oil acts as a carrier oil, keeping the essential oils from aromatically diffusing.   The oil also softens the skin, allowing the essential oils to move into the deeper layers of the wart more quickly.

A basic recipe might be:

• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 4 – 5 drops of essential oil (^LeMela Plus, ^LeDeliverance, or whatever you choose)
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Method:

Mix well. Lightly soak a cotton ball with the mixture shown above.  Apply it to the area.  Cover with a bandage to keep the cotton ball in place.  Change the cotton ball and bandage at least once a day until the wart is completely removed.  Once again, patience will be needed.

Other Commonly Recommended Home Remedies

Lomatium Tincture

Lomatium is a very powerful herbal antibiotic and antiviral agent.  This herb also seems to significantly improve overall immune function and improve resistance to sickness.   Lomatium has the ability to make the blood more alkaline. A body that is alkaline will detox itself naturally and is resistant to microbial attack and to cancer.   I have seen several cases where warts were widespread 20-30 all over the hands or feet and oils would make them smaller and sometimes even get rid of them for a time but they did not stay gone until Lomatium tincture was added to the plan.

Banana Peel

I find this suggestion interesting.  However, since reading about it, I have not come across a wart to try it on.  The theory is that the high potassium content of bananas makes the peel effective against HPV.  This leads me to speculate whether potassium – and/or other mineral deficiencies might play a part in susceptibility to warts and the other HPV infections.  Unfortunately, no research has been done concerning such a link.

Garlic

Before we discovered essential oils, garlic was the treatment of choice for warts in my family.  It was always effective – although a bit smelly.  So are essential oils, according to some people, I suppose.  In one study, concluded in 2014, garlic extract eliminated warts within four weeks.  This is also about the time needed by essential oils in order to eliminate a wart.

Allicin, a main component of garlic, ruptures the viruses’ protective shell (as described above in the tea tree discussion).   A part of a clove of garlic may be applied directly to the wart.  Alternatively, the garlic may be crushed and mixed with water.  A bandage is then used to hold the garlic in place.

There is a drawback with using garlic.  Garlic is very caustic and strong.  It can easily burn normal skin around the wart.  We experienced this more than once before finding a solution to the problem.  A little bit of carrier oil around the wart helped a lot.  Of course, too much carrier oil interfered with the stickiness of the bandage.  Before our essential oil (and carrier oil) days, we used Vaseline petroleum jelly.  Not anymore.  Petroleum products do not, in my opinion, belong on the body.  If I were going to use garlic I would use a liquid garlic supplement.

Other Suggested “Food Products” to Eliminate Warts

This list includes orange peel.  The recommendation is that the wart be rubbed with orange peel in much the same way as suggested for banana peel above.  Other suggestions include pineapples and potatoes.

Dandelion

The part said to be useful is the sap, the white milky substance that can be squeezed out of a dandelion stem.

Vitamin C

To give this a try, crush a vitamin C capsule and mix it with water.  One website claimed that mixing vitamin C powder with lemon juice is more effective.  Apply the paste to the wart using a bandage to hold it in place.  Change frequently and be patient.  Vitamin C has immune-boosting properties.  It is essential for healthy skin tissue and for wound healing.  My favorite way to get vitamin C is a good Rosehip tincture.

Vitamin E

To apply vitamin E to a wart, simply poke a hole in a capsule of vitamin E oil and squeeze some oil on to the wart.  Once again, cover with a bandage and repeat often.

With both Vitamin C and Vitamin E, I would be taking some internally as well.  I would be using herbals such as rose hips for my vitamin C supplementation.  Vitamin E?  Be sure to get capsules that say d-alpha tocopherols and not dl-alpha.  The extra “l” is an indication that the supplement is a man-made version of real vitamin E.  This “fake” is not effective for anything but clogging up the receptor sites that are needed in the uptake of “real” vitamin E.

In Conclusion

While I have given you a few common home remedy suggestions for warts, I believe that essential oils – with a bit of patience – is what is best for removing warts.  I fought a plantar wart on my foot for several years.  To be honest, I mostly just ignored it!  Finally, I got serious about getting rid of it.  ^LeDeliverance, applied faithfully, removed it completely.  It has never returned.

Of course, the most important part of any health issue is to strengthen and support the immune system!  This is a daily walk!   Alternative medicine is a positive science.  It should be a lifestyle as much as it is a response to a crisis.  We should be just a pro-active about our health when we are well as when we are ill!

If you have a wart – good luck!  Please, let us know what works for you!