Warts are benign (non-cancerous) growths that grow on the skin of the hands or elsewhere on the body, including the face, feet, and genitals. Regardless of where they develop, they are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which enters the skin through small cuts or abrasions. Warts are contagious and are spread with direct skin contact, especially in those with weak immune systems. It can be quite difficult to get rid of warts on your hands, but there are some home remedies that have proven effective. If you don't get positive results, you need to seek medical attention.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Common Home Remedies
Step 1. Exfoliate the wart with the pumice stone
This is a quick and inexpensive way to get rid of warts on your hands. Pumice stone acts naturally as an abrasive and works well to smooth the surface layer of the wart, especially if it is covered with a thick callus. While this method is fine for removing the outermost layer, it cannot remove the deeper "root" of the wart that is under the epidermis. Therefore, pumice stone can be used in conjunction with other types of ointments that destroy the rooted part under the skin.
- Before exfoliating the wart with the pumice stone, soak your hand in warm water for about 15 minutes to soften the skin.
- Proceed with caution when using this stone on a small wart that is not covered with a callus, as it could cause an abrasion or cut and cause it to bleed. If the wart is small and fleshy, you should use a small paper file to exfoliate it.
- People with diabetes or peripheral neuropathies should not use pumice stone on their hands and feet to exfoliate warts, as they have reduced nerve sensitivity which leads to tissue damage.
Step 2. Apply salicylic acid
This is another technique for removing the underlying layers of the wart. Salicylic acid dissolves keratin (a protein) on the surface of the wart and any skin calluses that cover it. However, keep in mind that it may damage or irritate the healthy skin surrounding this skin formation, so you need to be very cautious when applying it in the form of a liquid, gel, ointment, or patch (it should be put on up to twice a day). Before using the acid, wet the surrounding skin and file the surface layers of the wart with the pumice stone or paper file (as described above), so that the active ingredient can penetrate deeper. For best results, cover it with a band-aid and keep it in place overnight. It may take several weeks of treatment before a large wart is completely eliminated with salicylic acid, so you need to be patient.
- Salicylic acid is an over-the-counter warts medicine that you find at most drugstores. Some products also contain dichloroacetic or trichloroacetic acid, which "burn" the wart.
- A 17% salicylic acid solution or a 15% patch is effective for most warts on the hands.
- Remember that some skin formations can disappear spontaneously without any treatment thanks to the action of the immune system, so you can also consider using a "wait-and-see" technique for a few weeks and see if it works for you.
Step 3. Try cryotherapy
This is a cold therapy that freezes the wart. This is a fairly common procedure for this type of ailment and is used by many family doctors or dermatologists; However, there are also products for free sale that contain liquid nitrogen (Freeze Verruca by Dr. Scholl, Wartner and others) and that you can use comfortably at home. When you apply liquid nitrogen, a blister can form at first, but it will come off with the wart in about a week. Several treatments are needed to prevent the wart from growing again. To make liquid nitrogen more effective, you should scrape the growth with a pumice stone or paper file before applying.
- Cryotherapy is a bit painful, but generally quite tolerable. If the pain is really severe, stop applying and see your doctor.
- Liquid nitrogen can create a small scar on fair, healthy skin or leave dark spots on darker complexion skin, so be cautious when using it.
- Ice packs or cold gel packs are forms of cryotherapy suitable for musculoskeletal injuries, but are not good for warts; they are not effective and could cause cold burns.
Step 4. Use warts creams
There are many over-the-counter cream products available at the pharmacy to combat these skin formations and are usually less painful than cryotherapy. They work by destroying the structure of the wart on a chemical level and eventually break it down by eliminating it completely. These products may contain several active ingredients, such as dichloroacetic or trichloroacetic acid, 5-fluorouracil, zinc oxide, or some type of low-dose retinoid (vitamin A derivative). To apply the cream, spread it on the wart and let it absorb for about 5 minutes before washing your hands.
- Alternatively, use wart gauze that works similar to creams. You can make the medicine contained in the product transfer to the wart by rubbing it on it or you can place the swab directly on the growth and fix it with tape or a plaster. Let the gauze work for about an hour.
- Retinoids are usually used to slow the aging process, but they are also effective in eliminating dead skin cells from the face, preventing any residue from entering the pores, including warts.
Step 5. Cover the wart with duct tape
There are several reports (and some research) that claim that applying regular duct tape to warts can actually solve the problem, although the reasons are not yet fully understood. In a 2002 study it was found that 85% of people who used this technique managed to get rid of warts within a month, thus showing that it is more effective than cryotherapy. Therefore, you can try to cover the wart on the hand with this type of tape; then remove it, use the file or pumice stone to remove dead tissue and check if the wart grows again. You may need to repeat the treatment a couple of times, but it's worth a try, as it costs nothing and has no side effects.
- First clean the skin with rubbing alcohol, then securely attach a piece of duct tape right above the hand wart. Leave it in place for 24 hours before replacing it with a new piece. Repeat the process for a week to a maximum of six if necessary.
- Some people claim that non-porous duct tape, such as electrician's tape, is also just as effective, but there are no studies to prove this.
- Some patients also try to get rid of warts by applying other unusual elements, such as banana or potato peel.
Part 2 of 3: Herbal Remedies
Step 1. Apply apple cider vinegar
It is an ancient home remedy to eliminate all kinds of skin impurities, including warts. This vinegar contains citric acid and a high percentage of acetic acid, so it becomes a product with antiviral properties (kills HPV and other types of viruses). However, keep in mind that both acids can irritate the skin, so you need to move with caution when applying apple cider vinegar to the wart. Dip a cotton ball or Q-tip into the vinegar and place it directly on top of the wart, which you need to cover with a patch overnight. After a week of this daily treatment, the wart should have turned dark in color and should fall off; a new layer of skin will soon grow in its place.
- Keep in mind that applying this vinegar may initially cause a mild burn or swell the skin around the skin formation, but these side effects typically go away quickly.
- Many people find that apple cider vinegar leaves a bad smell and this could be another potential downside to this remedy.
- White vinegar also contains acetic acid, but it doesn't seem to be as effective against warts.
Step 2. Try garlic extract
This plant is also an ancient home remedy to treat many ailments. It contains a compound, called allicin, which has strong antimicrobial properties and is capable of killing various microorganisms, including the human papilloma virus. A study performed in 2005 found that the garlic extract completely cured the warts after a few weeks and they did not reform for several months afterwards. You can use raw, crushed garlic or purchase the extract and apply it directly to the wart several times a day for 1-2 weeks. Once in place, cover it with a patch for several hours until you decide to replace it. For best results, apply it just before bedtime so the allicin can go deeper and work better.
- Garlic, much like apple cider vinegar, can also cause mild burning or swelling of the skin around the wart, but it usually goes away on its own. Remember that, of course, it has a strong smell.
- A slightly less effective alternative is to take the refined garlic capsules by mouth; they work by attacking the HPV virus from the blood system.
Step 3. Consider using thuya oil
This product comes from the leaves and roots of the western red cedar, a conifer. It is an Ayurvedic folk remedy that treats various ailments thanks to its excellent antiviral properties; in fact, it contains elements capable of stimulating the immune system, as well as destroying and killing various viruses, such as HPV. For this reason, it proves to be an excellent treatment against warts. Apply the oil directly to the growth and let it absorb for about 5 minutes, then put a patch on. Repeat the procedure twice a day for up to two weeks. Thuya oil is quite potent and can irritate surrounding skin, so you need to be very careful when smearing it on your skin.
- To reduce the risk of skin irritation, you should dilute this product with mineral or cod liver oil before application.
- Thuya oil is especially recommended against particularly stubborn warts that do not heal with other forms of treatment; it is to be considered a bit as the last possible remedy in the field of phytotherapy.
- You can also find it on the market in the form of homeopathic tablets to be put under the tongue several times a day. These are small and tasteless, have only some traces of thuya extract, but they are effective and have no side effects.
Step 4. Don't forget tea tree oil
It is extracted from the melaleuca alternifolia, a tree native to Australia, also commonly called the tea tree. It can help with warts and other skin disorders because it has strong antibacterial, antiviral properties and can fight HPV. However, it doesn't seem to be able to penetrate as deeply into warts as apple cider vinegar, garlic extract, or thuya oil. For internal use it is able to strengthen the immune system and can fight human papilloma virus infections. To make it more effective, you should first file down the fleshy part of the wart a little with the pumice stone or nail file.
- Tea tree oil has been used for a few hundred years in Australia and New Zealand, but has only become popular in the Western world in the last few decades.
- Keep in mind that, although it is quite rare, it can irritate the skin and trigger allergic dermatological reactions in particularly sensitive people.
Part 3 of 3: Medical Treatments
Step 1. Contact your doctor
If the wart on your hand doesn't go away naturally or after trying the home remedies described so far, make an appointment with the family doctor, especially if the wart is sore or in a very uncomfortable spot. The doctor will examine your hand and assess whether it is actually just a wart and whether there are any other types of skin disorders. Some dermatological problems that can appear similar to warts are: corns, calluses, moles, ingrown hairs, pimples, boils, seborrheic keratosis, lichen planus and squamous cell carcinoma. To make sure it isn't some more serious problem, such as skin cancer, your doctor will take a tissue sample (biopsy) for examination under a microscope.
- If it's not a wart, your doctor will likely refer you to a skin specialist (dermatologist) to find the right treatments.
- If it is a normal wart, he will use a cryotherapy technique (more invasive than over-the-counter products); don't worry, as it will numb your hand before applying liquid nitrogen.
- Cryotherapy, when performed by a health professional, generally leaves no scars on the skin. The hole left by the destroyed wart will be filled and new healthy skin cells will grow.
Step 2. Learn about the strongest prescription drugs
If you or your doctor aren't particularly keen on the idea of cryotherapy, you can ask to be prescribed topical medications, which are generally more aggressive than over-the-counter creams or ointments. For example, he may recommend a 27.5% or stronger salicylic acid solution (undoubtedly it is more concentrated than the other over-the-counter products that are 17%) that is more effective, but also more dangerous to handle. Another topical medicine that is prescribed quite often for warts (especially plantar warts or on the feet in general) is cantharidin, a compound that derives from a family of beetles (the Meloidae). Cantharidin is a potent agent that burns warts and is often used in conjunction with salicylic acid.
- Research has confirmed that salicylic acid is most effective when combined with cryotherapy.
- Sometimes patients are given prescription salicylic acid products to treat warts at home, but these can increase the risk of irritating the skin and leaving scars.
- On the other hand, cantharidin is poisonous if ingested and is generally not prescribed to patients for home use.
Step 3. Consider laser treatments
New advanced technologies have allowed doctors and dermatologists to find other techniques to get rid of skin imperfections, such as warts. For example, the pulsed light laser can burn and destroy (or cauterize) the fine blood vessels that surround and nourish the wart, which later dies and falls off. Other more conventional types of lasers can burn the wart directly in minutes, although a topical anesthetic must be used. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis and usually leaves only mild irritation on the surrounding skin.
- The pulsed light laser has a 95% success rate for all types of warts and relapses are very rare.
- Keep in mind, though, that laser therapy for warts and other skin problems is quite expensive, so if you have health insurance, make sure your policy covers it. Warts on the hands are not considered significant health problems, so you will probably have to pay for the treatment out of your own pocket.
Step 4. Consider surgery with your dermatologist as a last resort
If home remedies and other medical treatments have not been successful, you can discuss with your doctor about the possibility of getting rid of the wart with surgery. This procedure is considered minor surgery (day hospital or outpatient) and consists of removing the wart with a scalpel or destroying the diseased tissue with an electrical or ultrasound device (the procedure is called electro-drying and curettage). Basically, desiccation involves the destruction of the wart tissue, while during curettage the dead tissue is scraped with a metal tool called a curette. The procedure is painful, so a topical anesthetic will need to be applied.
- Surgical removal typically leaves a scar; keep this in mind, if you are a "handyman".
- After electrodessication, it is not uncommon for warts to re-form within the scar tissue over time.
- By cutting the tissue surrounding a deep wart there is sometimes a risk of spreading it to other nearby areas, especially in those with weak immune systems.
Advice
- All warts can be contagious, so avoid direct skin contact with other people or other parts of the body.
- Don't use the same pumice stone you used on the wart for other healthy body parts.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after touching your wart or someone else's.
