Removing Warts with Apple Cider Vinegar

Warts are growths in the skin caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Although they can occur on any part of the body they are most commonly found on hands and feet. The types of warts most often encountered are common warts, flat warts, plantar warts, and genital warts. Warts are very common and it is estimated that 4 out 5 people will have at least one wart during their lifetime. Although warts will eventually go away on their own many people are embarassed by them and have struggled with ways to remove them. There are many over-the-counter treatments available. When they fail many people turn to a dermatologist who may burn or freeze the wart off or prescribe a stronger medication than can be found on the pharmacy shelf. This treatment can be painful and expensive.

As an eighth grader I had an unsightly wart on the pad of the ring finger of my right hand. My mother bought Compound W to treat the wart, but it did not work for me. In fact, by the time I was done using the Compound W not only did the wart remain but I had an additional wart as well. At that point my mother took me to a dermatologist. He gave me a prescription for a topical wart remover similar to Compound W, but much stronger (and much smellier). This did work, but it was expensive and a bit painful.

As I got older I learned of a way to treat warts at home that is just as successful as any topical remover that is prescribed by a dermatologist. Although it can also be a bit painful as the wart is removed it is no more painful than anything that a dermatologist would do and it is much less expensive.

The way I have come to remove warts is through the use of apple cider vinegar. There are two ways to use apple cider vinegar to aide in the removal of warts. The first is to mix warm water with a cup of vinegar and soak the affected area for 20 minutes a day until the wart disappears. This method takes longer than the second method, but it is not apt to cause as much irritation to the surrounding skin.

A quicker way of removing warts with apple cider vinegar is to soak a piece of cotton in the vinegar, place it on the wart, and secure it in place with a band-aid and then wear it over night. You should do this each night until the wart and its core is gone. It is important to keep treating the area until the core is gone since if it remains the wart will grow back.

Apple cider vinegar works in removing warts because of it's acidic content. The acid does not kill the virus, but it soaks into the skin which allows the surface layer, with the wart and virus, to peel off. This is a very effective treatment for common warts and flat warts. This treatment can take longer, up to two weeks, to remove plantar warts since they grow inwards. Do not use this method as a treatment for genital warts. Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease and should be treated by a doctor.

There are distinct stages that occur when using apple cider vinegar to remove warts.

1. The wart will begin to swell and throb. The pain associated with this can last for a few hours or a few days depending on the size of the wart. Some people do not feel any pain at all.

2. The wart will turn black. It can a few days for this to happen.

3. The wart will fall off. Usually the wart will be gone within a week. You can peel it off after it blackens, but to ensure that the core is removed it is best to let it fall off on its own.

I highly recommend using apple cider vinegar to remove warts. Granted, since warts are a virus, warts will eventually go away on their own, but who needs to have embarrassing warts when they are so easy to remove with apple cider vinegar.