Herbal Medicine For Warts
Reach for echinacea. An immune system stimulant, echinacea helps fight viral infections, including those that cause warts. You’ll find echinacea in tea, capsule, and tincture form in health food stores. Whichever product you choose, follow the package directions for proper dosage.
Bite back with birch bark. The Chinese, Scandinavians, and Native Americans have all used birch bark as a remedy for warts, according to James A. Duke, Ph.D. The herb contains salicylic acid, the active ingredient in over-the-counter wart-removal products. Birch bark also contains betulin and betulinic acid, two compounds with antiviral action.
To use birch bark, moisten a small piece of the bark and apply it over the wart. Hold the bark in place with medical tape. Leave it on for 24 hours, then get a fresh piece of bark and repeat. Continue until the wart goes away.
Home Remedies
Play kitchen chemist. In a pinch, you can make your own wart remover by crushing an aspirin and mixing the powder with a little water, says Anne Simons, M.D. Apply the paste directly to the wart, then cover with a bandage for a day or so. Be careful not to apply it to skin that has an open wound.
Hands off. Never pick or scratch at a wart. That’s how the wart virus finds its way to other parts of your body.
Over-The-Counter Drugs
Let a remover do the work. Wart-removal products come in liquid, gel, and plaster form. According to Dr. Simons, plasters are preferable because they stay on the wart best. But try different products and choose the one you like. Be sure to follow the label directions.
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