Verruca is the technical term for a wart, a small skin growth caused by any of 60 related human papillomavirus types that affect the outer layer of the skin, or epidermis. Warts can be spread from one location on the body to another, particularly along a scratch or cut, but most warts are not very contagious from one person to another, excepting genital warts, which are highly contagious and transmitted sexually. Anyone, at any age, can develop a wart, but they are most common in children and least common in the elderly.
Whether flat or raised, common warts tend to be firm, rough, and scaly on the top surface and vary in size depending on the particular virus that caused them and their position on the body. They most often appear in areas that are easily injured, such as the fingers, nails, face, scalp, elbows, and knees, and they can develop in clusters (mosaic warts) or as single, isolated growths. Plantar warts develop on the soles of the feet and can be quite painful due to the pressure inflicted upon them by standing or walking; they are difficult to treat, often resisting natural remedies.
A cure for these pesky, unsightly growths can be elusive because they frequently go away spontaneously and also tend to recur spontaneously in the same areas. There is no guaranteed cure, natural or chemical. Just when you think they’re gone, here they come again, even if you resort to having your health-care professional freeze them off with liquid nitrogen. Alternative treatments such as laser surgery and electrodesiccation (a treatment that uses electric current) can also destroy warts, but both of these may result in scarring.
Here’s an interesting tidbit: After you’ve been treating a wart for some time with whatever method you decide upon, you may notice an apparent increase in the size of the wart. This can, in some people, signal the beginning of the healing process. Warts have a root (a portion that is beneath the skin) that may get pushed outward as it is rejected by the healing tissue, so don’t become alarmed if it looks as if your wart is getting bigger — it’s temporary.
Tried and True Wart Remedies
Here are some simple, effective herbal wart remedies that have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Be aware that no one treatment works for everyone. Warts are stubborn creatures. Whatever method you choose to try, keep at it. Consistency is key to dissolving and ultimately removing common warts:
TEA TREE, CLOVE, AND LEMON ESSENTIAL OILS.
All three essential oils have antiviral and antiseptic properties and work well at helping to dissolve common warts. If you want to give one of these essential oils a try, apply 1 tiny drop “neat” or undiluted to the wart, and cover with an adhesive bandage. Repeat twice daily.
Note: Both clove and lemon essential oils can be highly irritating when used in this manner, so take care not to get them on the surrounding skin. Tea tree essential oil is very effective yet quite gentle on the skin.
GARLIC.
Enzyme-rich raw garlic is a potent antiviral. Tape a thin slice to the wart; apply a fresh piece daily. Yes, this method will make you smell a bit garlicky.
DANDELION, CALENDULA, AND MILKWEED SAP.
Folkloric wart remedies abound, and the use of the fresh sap from any of these three plants to dissolve common warts is centuries old. My grandfather taught me to apply to the wart a drop of white, sticky sap from the stem or broken root of a fresh dandelion, from the base of the calendula flower head where it joins the stem, or from the milkweed stem, and cover it with an adhesive bandage. Change the dressing daily. These saps act as corrosive agents to dissolve the wart. Take care not to get the sap onto surrounding skin. Be consistent with your applications and always use fresh plants.
VITAMIN A OIL.
Vitamin A is important for the health and integrity of the cell membrane. It is part of a group of compounds called retinoids, and it contains retinoic acid, which is used in many of today’s anti-aging creams and lotions to exfoliate the skin and minimize fine lines and wrinkles, resulting in a smoother, more toned appearance. Many people have had success in dissolving a wart by applying natural vitamin A oil, derived from carotenoid sources, to the wart on a twice-daily basis. You might want to give it a try.
Sunday, 20 April 2014
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