The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Matches
Posted by Corey (Salt Lake City, UT) on 07/26/2009
★★★★★
Wart cured with matches: My wife and I had fought for over a year to get rid of two warts on my daughters feet. Two trips to the doctor and several over the counter options, still nothing seemed to work. All other things would make the wart much smaller but would never make it disappear completely. Our neighbor told us about using wooden matches. Our application was slightly different than others I've seen described. We applied a small strip of duck tape over the wart with a hole in it to expose the wart. Essentially it is there to hold the match head in place. We cut the match head off and placed it in the hole. Lit the match and waited until it went out. Less than one week later the wart was gone and hasn't returned.
ACV, Banana Peel, Duct Tape
Posted by Tricia (Ireland) on 07/24/2009
many years ago while studiying reflexology I managed to contract a wart on the bag area under my eye. At tht time the only over the counter remedies were based on salicylic acds which seemed to strong for such a delicate area. The course tutor told me to use clear nail polish on it to stop it from getting contact with oxygen. Well it worked. I put it on morning and evening and the wart completely dissappeared in about 3 days. He explained that all warts need oxygen to survive and if they are deprived they will die off. The sooner it is treated the less time needed on the remedy. BTW this won't work on verrucae cos they get their oxygen fron a blood vessel in the skin hence the red dot in the middle of them.
ACV, Banana Peel, Duct Tape
Posted by Alex (Boston, MA) on 07/23/2009
I am replying to Kathy from Reading, Berkshire's posting. For wart problems, consider trying Manuka honey, Manuka oil or a mixture of Manuka honey and turmeric. Just put it over the wart and cover it with a bandage. I have personally had great results using Manuka honey and recommend it to anyone. I had warts on my hands for which I used a number of different remedies in addition to freezing and other over the counter medications, I used vinegar, copper pennies soaked in vinegar, banana peel, a variety of oils (clove, tea tree, etc) vitamin E, etc. Nothing really worked until I tried Manuka. I believe that these microorganisms that cause warts and other skin conditions adapt/mutate, and that is why many remedies work well for some and not at all for others, the little creature become somewhat unique to that person's body. While I am not sure if this will work for everyone, I really think that it is worth a try. The treatment is painless and you can find Manuka at most grocery stores.
ACV, Banana Peel, Duct Tape
Posted by Kathy (Reading, Berkshire, UK) on 07/23/2009
I have read the remedy for banana peel with interest, my 10 year old daughter had one recently removed from her thumb using Bazooka, but two have now appeared on her face, one on her lower lip a nasty tiny cauliflower devil about the size of a pea, and the other just below her eye. At first we thought it was a calcium spot but it has grown slightly and the GP confirmed they were different types of wart. She bravely agreed to have them frozen, but when the time came, she just couldn't bring herself to keep still and we agreed it would be too dangerous to continue. Does anyone have any advice on how to apply the banana peel to these facial warts? I suppose I could duct tape them on at night, but any other suggestions would be most helpful. Many thanks
White Vinegar
Posted by Bryan (Sarasota, Florida) on 07/23/2009
★★★★★
i had a bit ugly common wart about the size of between a dime and a quarter above my calf on my left leg. i had used duct tape only for weeks and it did NOTHING! i then used vinegar with a q-tip and taped it daily and that did NOTHING! i then read your site and listened to the PEOPLE who said to soak a little piece of cottonball and place it over the wart and duct tape it.
now if you want it to go quickly you need to change it at least 3 TIMES a day. i changed it 3 TIMES a day and my wart turned black after 2 full days and i pulled it off.
it takes longer for most people because they're only doing it overnight. if you do change the cotton ball and tape 3 times a day you'll get rid of it quickly as i did. imagine i've had the wart at least 6 months and it's gone in only TWO DAYS!!!
any vinegar will work!!! if you've been using other methods switch to a little piece of cotton ball 3 times change a day with duct tape and it will be gone quickly.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by j b (Pushmataha, OK) on 07/20/2009
First I have many flat warts on my face. I am wondering if I "wash" my face in ACV maybe 3-4 times a day would that work? I would like to try this method but work in the public eye, so if I put it on my face, would my whole face turn black, or just the small wart spots? And do I need to use organic ACV or just plain ole grocery store kind? Please help thank you!
Banana Peel
Posted by Mariella (Westfield, NJ) on 07/20/2009
★★★★★
Took a few weeks, but it worked! I've been dealing with a pretty big plantar wart on the heel for about 3 years and got two more on the same foot in the past 2 years. I tried freezing them several times with over the counter remedies, but I had the feeling that it only got worse. Then I came across this website and just had a go with the bananas. I used organic bananas and put a piece of the skin (the inside facing down) on each wart, and covered them with tape. I kept the tapes on 24/7 and renewed every time they got shifted. After about 2 1/2 months I was about to give up but then all of a sudden all three of the warts disappeared. It's amazing what mother nature can do! All it took was persistence and a lot of patience. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it, but three weeks ago I started taking an organic Acai juice blend from a health food store every morning.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Alex (Boston, MA) on 07/19/2009
Hello, I am replying to Sharon from Brick, New Jersey's posting. For warts, I have had tremendous success with Manuka honey as well as manuka oil. Just apply it topically and you will see results in a couple of days. I have suffered from warts on my hands for which I tried many, many treatments, from burning them off with over the counter medications to the banana peel to tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, copper pennies, etc. Nothing worked until I tried manuka. I believe that there are different strands of microorganisms that cause the warts and that may be the reason why some things very work well for some people and not for others, but I really think that manuka is worth a try.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sharon (Brick, New Jersey) on 07/19/2009
I would like to email someone who submitted their experience with ACV. My daughters wart has been under her right nostril probably almost a year now. Thought it was a pimple at first, doesn't seem to bother her but now believe it is a wart. Her Bat Mitzvah is in 4 weeks and would love to try and get rid of it. She is concerned about the blackening and possible irritation to surrounding skin. This one person whom I'd like to correspond with had a wart on their forehead and got rid of it in 4 days. They just didn't put much detail on their testimony except that they used ACV. Thanks
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Victoria (San Diego, CA) on 07/15/2009
★★★★★
My husband recently got a wart on his hand. After reading this site, I read some of the testimonials to him and he decided to try the ACV on it. He put it on topically at night with cotton ball and tape. Within 2 days it had shrunk substantially and changed color. Within a week it turned black and fell off.
My husband has skin cancer on his face. He suddenly got this strange looking giant fleshy growth on his head right above the ear. I can't tell if it is a wart or a mole as it looks unlike any I've ever seen and the color was an odd shade of orangey-beige-brown. Anyhow, he started putting the ACV on it and it began to shrink rather dramatically...then he had some terrible pain on the top of the ear where the ACV poultice was touching and I looked back there and noticed a bunch of skin turning black and healing...so we know that something was wrong there too and is healing from the ACV. He said the pain was particulary acute on this part and is sending shooting pains down the nerves. Anyhow, ACV has another believer in my husband ( I already had been using it on my skin with good results.)
Next he is going to try it on his skin cancer.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sallie (Albuquerque, NM, USA) on 07/12/2009
★★★★★
ACV cured my planters warts. After spending $900 on seeing the dermatologist for a year and having him freeze my planter's warts on one heel over and over again, I found this web site. I tried the ACV treatment (organic brand) on the gauze part of a bandaid once in the morning and once at night. I wore the bandaid all the time. They were gone in three weeks. The dr. didn't believe it. His loss.
Banana Peel
Posted by Judy (Cullowhee, NC) on 07/04/2009
★★★★★
A round, smooth wart on my temple was getting larger and puffier. After a couple of days of trial and error, my best result was then achieved by using a small piece of blackened banana peel big enough to completely cover the wart under a watertight bandaid (having adhesive on all 4 sides). I changed the banana and bandaid morning and night.
Day one: the wart was completely flat, a little whitish, and it was clear that the wart was comprised of 3 equal sections. Day 2: edges of the wart were black, granular and broke off when touched. It appeared the wart could perhaps be lifted away, but it could not. Day 3: the wart was GONE. Vanished. Not a trace remaining. The skin underneath was not red or raised. Today, a good year later, it has not returned.
If there's a next time, I'll use the following amendments, as others have suggested: first, lightly roughen the wart with a pumice stone or fingernail file to make it more susceptible to treatment. Then, apply scrapings from the peel's interior, so as to reduce the bulk of the peel.
This was unbelievably simple. Thanks to all those who shared their experiences.
Salt Water
Posted by Mythos (Limassol, Cyprus) on 06/28/2009
★★★★★
Walk on the beach.
Try a long walk or jog on the sand by the sea with bare feet to cure your warts in a quick and pleasant way once and for all. I did this only 3-4 times and the warts literally evaporated and never came back. The sand wears off the skin and the warts and the sea salt with the iodine burns them out. No need for salicyllic acid or medieval burn-out surgery. Doctors will never tell you this. What will they sell?? If you have a sandy beach near you roll your trousers up, throw your shoes off and go for a long walk on the beach. Your warts will fall off and you will come back exercised and refreshed.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Laura (El Paso, TX) on 06/24/2009
★★★★★
My daughter had a wart on her wrist for close to one year. I came across this site and tried ACV on a cottonball w/ bandaid for two nights. The wart started to blacken after the first night's treatment, but the area that the cottonball soaked in ACV had been on was red, itchy, and scaley. I told my daughter to try to deal with it because the desired result was being achieved. The second night I put a layer of petroleum jelly around the wart to keep the ACV from irritating her skin. It worked a bit but it was already irritated so it didn't seem to give her much relief. She was certainly happy when the wart fell off and we could discontinue ACV altogether.
Tea Tree, Coconut Oil
Posted by Kalee (Rice Lake, WI) on 06/20/2009
★★★★★
About 8 months ago I had two warts around and under my pointer and middle finger of my left hand and one on the middle knuckle of my pointer finger on my right hand. I had these warts since I was 16 (I am now 20), so I had them for about 4 years. I had tried many things: Banana peel, duct tape, nail polish, apple cider vinegar, cutting them off, wart remover, freezing them...The list could go on. Some of them decreased the size by a small margin, but barely noticeable. I perform on clarinet and piano, and to have unsightly fingers as mine was embarrassing! Like I said, I tried all those things. I came across the combination of tea tree oil and coconut oil by trial and error. I love this site so when I got fed up with the warts, I came here. I tried tea tree oil on it's own, but it burned my fingers and they turned red and peeled where i had placed the cotton ball. They started going away! But I couldn't stand the burning when I used it. I saw some people used coconut oil on here, so I tried that by itself and it worked a little bit and it healed the burns from the tea tree oil. Then I combined the two and voila! No burns or peeling skin and the warts were gone by the fourth or fifth day of use! What I used was a very small part of a cotton ball with a dab of tea tree oil, then I put a bit of coconut oil on my fingers and wrapped a bandaid around it. Don't use a whole lot of tea tree oil, the piece of cotton should be small enough to fit over the wart, but not much bigger than that. Use more coconut oil than tea tree oil so that the burns won't be that bad. Hope this helps those who can't find a cure like I couldn't!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sally (Portland, Oregon) on 06/17/2009
★★★★★
i have been dealing with a wart on the top of my foot for several years. 3+. it would almost go away, then come back. a week ago i decided to try the acv treatment (it's summer and i don't want this unsightly wart on my foot!)
here's what i did. took a cotton ball, soaked it in acv, put the cotton ball on top of the wart, covered it with a bandaid, then covered the band aid with duct tape, left this on for 10+ hours, removed, let the wart breathe for a few hours and then do it all over again. i've been doing this for almost a week and i am now wart free! with in the first day or two the wart turned black and the size of it was reduced, and then tonight i was picking at it and the black scaby thing just fell off and no more wart!
thank you so much everyone who has posted their remedies and comments here! it is soo helpful! i am a firm believer in the healing powers of ACV! it truly works!
Lemon
Posted by Judy (Denver, CO) on 06/13/2009
★★★★★
Seed warts on hands...
Just read about banana peels getting rid of warts. I have a cleaner remedy for seed warts on the hands. I started getting these seed (tiny) warts when I was 15. I tried a few OTC remedies that didn't work. By the time I was 45 all the first three (largest)knuckles on both hands were covered by one big wart. One bled sometimes. I finallly talked to my doctor about them and he said to wait until he got his lazer because they were too deep. In the meantime, I attended a seminar put on by a master herbalist and someone in the audience asked what to do about seed warts. She said to take the inside of a lemon rind and rub them each night and in less than a week they'd be gone. I tried it on my left hand first and to my amazement, they started to fade with the first application. After five nights they were gone and and skin was as normal as if I'd never hand them. Then, because I've read that sometimes they go away on their own, I tried the right hand, one finger at a time and the same thing happened. One by one, the warts went away as I did each finger, and they've never returned. And I lived with those ugly things for 30 years and lemon rind got rid of them in no time. I don't know if it works on any other type of wart.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Holly (Chicago Suburbs, IL USA) on 05/31/2009
★★★★★
I had a plantar wart on the bottom of my heel for many years (at least 7-8 years). I used OTC treatments that would seem to work at first, but would never completely get rid of it and it would just grow back.
Years later during a doctor appointment I brought it up, hoping to get it treated once and for all. It was a new doctor for me, and I was shocked when she actually gave me a home remedy to try instead (yea doctor!) - duct tape (plus pumice stone to remove dead skin). She said it would take months, but would suffocate the wart (or something like that). Instead it seemed to kill some skin around it. One time I removed the tape months into the treatment, and it tore into the skin around the wart instead...yet I still saw a small white ball intact in that deeper layer of the skin (surely the wart). I gave up on that home remedy.
A couple years later at another doctor appointment (late last year), I brought it up again with a different doctor (HMOs, sigh). First she tried the freezing treatment, but after 3 visits it barely phased the wart (if at all). Since it's an HMO, I had to wait for a referral to a dermatologist after that (it took about 2 weeks to finally get it).
During that waiting time, I finally discovered the ACV REMEDY on this site, so I never went to the derm at all. I was seeing FAST results in the first week, so I had much hope. Most of it was gone within 2 weeks, but for months after I went back and forth with treatment never knowing whether it was all gone. I think the plantar warts grow deeper than other warts and are probably harder to get rid of. I came to the conclusion that as long as I can still see any specks of skin darkening (black/brown/dark red) where the wart was during my treatment, then it is still there. Keep treating it.
MY TREATMENT DETAILS:
I want to note that I DID use the grocery store ACV. That is generally not recommended for ACV remedies. In my opinion, ACV taken internally should definitely be with "the mother", but maybe not necessarily for external remedies (or at least for warts) if you can't easily get an organic brand with the mother.
I used cotton from a Q-tip (that was enough to cover my wart), dipped it in ACV, and covered it with a couple band-aids (like an "X", to prevent ACV from leaking outside the band-aid). I would usually do this around bedtime and remove it in the morning. I have also done it during the day if I missed a treatment, but it's probably better (or at least easier) to do when you won't be on your feet a lot, plus you can make use of the hours of down time while sleeping. In the early stages, I could feel a little pain sometimes, but it would never seem to last long or be that noticeable. Overall, no real problem with that. When the wart turns dark (black/brown/dark red), that is a good sign.
Eventually the dead skin has to be removed/scraped. Sometimes it comes off easily, but it becomes more challenging if you have to keep going deeper. Pumice stone would probably be safest, but it seems hard to keep clean. I used a less safe method, which was to scrape with the side of an exacto razor blade (cleaned with rubbing alcohol). It worked well, but it is sharp, and I can't say I never ended up with a cut or two no matter how careful I tried to be.
It was hard to tell when the wart was completely gone. When I could not see the ACV having anymore effect on the skin during treatments, especially when there were no more specks becoming darkened, that's when I believed it was really gone. I am monitoring just in case, and will retreat if needed. So far so good after a few weeks.
Either way, I definitely accept this as a very effective, safe, and cheap wart remedy!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Robin (Macomb, Michigan) on 05/31/2009
question about removing tattoo naturally: I have an old tattoo on my arm and was wondering if ACV would remove it since it works on moles i was wondering if anyone has tried it or if theres anything else i can try? Thanks!
EC: We don't have a tattoo removal page, so your question is going on the mole removal page for now! If this topic proves to be a popular subject, will add a new page.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kat (Washington DC) on 05/24/2009
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I am treating my flat hand warts (on the back of my hand) with ACV. The ACV seems to be working. The warts turned into a scab, and in about 1.5 weeks 2 of the scabs have fallen off and left pink skin. My concern is that when I would remove the bandages in the morning, I would find that I had new warts (where the adhesive portion of the bandaid had been). It seems that the warts are contagious when they are being treated. Is there any way I can treat the warts without causing new ones to pop up? Has anyone had this problem, and how did you resolve it?
