Good Riddance to Warts!

There are several self treatment options for persons suffering from warts. As a rule of thumb, start with the least invasive solution first. If that fails to treat the wart then move to the next step. It is estimated that approximately 40-50% of warts spontaneously resolve by themselves, especially in children. If, however, the wart starts to grow or it multiplies, then it's time for action. Some people swear that by applying a 25,000 IU Vitamin A capsule directly to the wart once a day will resolve the problem. Only perform this on the skin. If taken orally, excess Vitamin A can be fatal. Others swear that by crushing a Vitamin C capsule and mixing it with a small amount of water to form a paste then applying a band aid over it to keep it from rubbing off, works wonders as well.

If the natural remedies don't work you can try over the counter products. Do not use these products if you have diabetes or impaired circulation. There are wart removal patches that are worn over the wart for several weeks at a time. I have found these patches to be basically a waste of money, but I have known people who have gotten rid of their warts this way. Cryotherapy (freezing the warts off) seems to be a successful way to remove some warts yourself. I only recommend this method of self removal for the hands though. Other areas are best left to the professionals. The catch with this treatment is that if you leave the freezing nitrogen on the skin too long the nitrogen kills the skin around the wart as well. This can cause additional problems. I also wouldn't recommend this treatment for young children as the freezing process is painful.

If none of these remedies get rid of the wart, a trip to the doctor may offer other options. Doctors can also perform cryotherapy. They may choose to remove the warts with acid or use carbon dioxide laser therapy. For genital warts cream may be used, and repeated over several days. Also a mixture of trichloroacetic acid applied to the war and a neutralized with baking soda or water until the wart turns white can also be used on genital warts. Additionally, there are several antiviral drugs under investigation to help rid the body of the HPV virus. If an individual develops immunity, then the warts will resolve by themselves. The main thing to remember about warts though is this, regardless of how it is removed (do it yourself or doctors procedure), if all the virus isn't gone from the skin, then the wart will come back.