You don’t have to live with warts. You can get a good wart remover to help you get rid of the unsightly growths on your skin. There are however a couple of considerations for you to look into before you decide on your treatment option.

Wart Remover

Type of Treatment

You can either choose a medical or a natural treatment option for your warts. One option that your doctor would typically recommend is medication. This would involve using salicylic acid or tretinoin. For more severe cases, he may recommend cryotherapy or laser removal.

Some individuals who are concerned about treatment side effects may choose the natural method instead. If you choose this option, you can buy a natural wart remover product or you can use some home remedies like apple cider vinegar, baking soda, tea tree oil, castor oil and duct tape.

Affordability

There are wart remover medications that are fairly affordable and can be bought over the counter.  Medical procedures however, such as cryotherapy may be a bit costly. Those who wish to limit their costs on wart treatment may again prefer the more cost effective natural options. Treating warts with apple cider and duct tape will definitely cost you very little. Many nature based products that contain herbal extracts also cost less than synthetic medications and medical procedures.

Effectiveness

The major disadvantage of many natural wart remover products is their varying levels of effectiveness. A solution that may be good for one person may not be effective for you. The differences in effectiveness are most likely due to the lack of standard guidelines for the use and preparation of natural products.

This does not mean though that synthetic options are always more effective than natural ones. Even minor surgical procedures may not always completely remove stubborn warts. There are also instances in which highly effective procedures only get rid of your current problem. There is no guarantee that warts will not grow back. Warts are caused by the stubborn human papillomavirus which can lie dormant for some time after treatment and then become active again.

Necessity

You have to find out if you really need a wart remover. Many warts that grow on the hands, elbows and knees go away on their own after a couple of months. If they aren’t causing you much trouble, you might want to consider leaving them alone. Then again, carrying a wart may be potentially uncomfortable and embarrassing. If you are extremely bothered by your warts physically and emotionally, there may be a genuine need to have it removed.

Claims

A good wart remover should only make claims that it can deliver. In this case, it would probably be a bad idea to pick a product that promises 100% success. As mentioned, warts are not easy to deal with and they can keep on coming back. Even the best products can only do so much.

Yes, you can deal with warts with a good wart remover. Just be sure that you have taken into account all of the important considerations for wart removal before you pick your treatment option.

There are a couple of wart remedies that you might want to try. This is especially if you want to avoid the cost and possible side effects of medication and medical procedures. One of the most popular wart remedies of all time is duct tape wart treatment. The question is whether this is really an effective remedy or not.

Duct Tape Warts

Duct Tape Treatment

Duct tape wart treatment has become so popular that it now comes with its own fancy name. It is officially called tape occlusion therapy. Although some individuals claim that it truly is an effective method, scientific studies do not agree as to its effectiveness. A study conducted by Focht has shown that the method may be more effective in wart removal than cryotherapy. Another study by Wenner using clear duct tape showed that the method only had around a 21% rate of effectiveness among test subjects. Regardless of whether duct tape wart treatment is effective or not, a lot of individuals continue to use it.

How It Works

The reason behind the effects of duct tape on warts is poorly understood. There are however a couple of theories and guesses as to why duct tape seems to work as a wart treatment. The most simple and basic explanation is that duct tape simply peels off dead cells when it is taped securely over a wart. This makes a lot of sense because ordinary duct tape does stick very well and can easily peel off skin cells, dead or otherwise.

There is another explanation for the possible effectiveness of duct tape wart treatment. This is where the term occlusion really applies. Duct tape is believed to be responsible for partially irritating the skin on and around the wart. This then stimulates the immune system to kick in and fight the wart growth.

Application Tips

Some duct tape users claim that the reason why it is sometimes ineffective is because other users don’t use it properly. The most common way to apply duct tape is to put it over the clean and dry wart and let the tape stay there for a week or more. The tape can then be removed after the appointed period of time after which the affected part should be soaked in water. After soaking, the wart has to be pared off with an emery board, dried and wrapped with fresh duct tape. The procedure can be repeated until the wart disappears completely. The duct tape wart method can also be combined with salicylic acid application.

Things to Watch Out For

Do remember that duct tape does not allow a lot of air in. This means that duct tape wart treatment could become potentially unpleasant. This is especially when you remove the tape and your skin feels a bit moist and wrinkled. In some cases, it can even give off a slightly bad smell.

Duct tape wart treatment may or may not work for your particular wart condition. You simply have to try this solution to see for yourself if it will work for you.

Some warts don’t really need to be treated. They may simply go away on their own after a few months. Then again, you may not want to live for many months with warts on your skin. It simply is too embarrassing. One effective treatment option that you may want to try is the freeze wart method.

Freeze Wart Treatment

How Freezing Works

Warts survive and persist because they are fed by healthy blood vessels. You would want to cut this source of life and kill the wart cells that are already around. This is exactly what you can accomplish through the freeze wart method. Warts are typically frozen by using liquid nitrogen on the wart area. Right after freezing, the wart may take on a dull color. Eventually though, the dull color will become reddish and turn into a blister.

Once the freeze wart method produces a blister, it may become tempting to take the blister out manually. You should stop yourself from doing so though. The healthy skin underneath your wart has not yet healed at this stage. There is also a possibility that manually eliminating a blister may result in the spread or the recurrence of the wart condition. You just have to keep your hands off the wart. It will slough off on its own after a few days.

Freezing Options

There are now three methods for you to use for the freeze wart method. You have to pick the right method for your particular wart condition.

• The traditional way to freeze warts would be through a clinic procedure known as cryosurgery. This is also otherwise known as cryotherapy. Although it may sound like a serious kind of medical procedure, it really is an outpatient procedure that can be completed in a couple of minutes. Asking a doctor to perform the procedure is particularly recommended for genital warts.

• You can also freeze wart growths using an over the counter product. You just have to follow the instructions for its safe use. Some of these products however are not as effective or quick acting as the clinic procedure.

• Some individuals simply take wart treatment into their own hands and buy pure liquid nitrogen. They apply this on the wart using a cotton swab or q-tip. It goes without saying though that this isn’t really the safest option around.

Concerns

You don’t need to worry at all if you choose to have the freeze wart method in a reputable doctor’s clinic. You do have to be extra careful though if you opt to use the method yourself. First of all, you have to make sure that the skin growth that you are trying to treat is really a wart. Otherwise, you could only irritate or burn your skin.

Even if you are sure that you are treating a wart, you could end up using liquid nitrogen incorrectly. This could result in drastic skin irritation and burns that could make your situation even more embarrassing and painful because you would need medical attention for the burns.

A final point of concern is the transport and use of pure liquid nitrogen. If you aren’t careful, you could suffer from a small explosion.

Not every individual chooses to treat warts with medication or surgical procedures. For a lot of people, home wart remedies are safer and more affordable. You might also want to consider this option.

Wart Remedies

Natural Solutions

One major reason behind the popularity of wart remedies is their reputation for being safe to use. People who would like to avoid the risk of skin irritation and scarring simply choose to use mild herbs, vitamins and natural concoctions to treat warts. Here are some of the most popular home remedies for warts:

• Apple cider vinegar- You can dip your whole hand or foot into a container with apple cider. You can also soak a cotton ball with the liquid and tape or bandage it to the wart. The acidic content of the vinegar is said to be capable of gently removing sections of the wart.

• Aloe vera- As centuries of use would prove, this plant has medicinal properties and is particularly good for the skin. Cotton balls dipped in aloe vera gel can be taped over the wart daily.

• Duct tape- This is not exactly a natural substance but it is one of the most effective wart remedies available. There seems to be no clear explanation for this though. This remedy is simply applied by putting the tape over the wart growth and letting it sit there for some time.

• Banana peel- It has been suggested that the vitamins in banana peels could perhaps help treat warts. Although there is no clinical proof for this, some individuals swear that rubbing or taping the peel over warts can be a good solution.

• Vitamins- You don’t need to orally ingest vitamins as wart remedies. You can simply open a capsule of vitamin A or E and apply the contents over the wart. You can use tape or bandage to ensure that the vitamins are placed securely over the wart. These two vitamins have been particularly known for their rejuvenating effects on skin.

• Castor oil- Another popular remedy is castor oil. Simply rub castor oil over the warts or apply the oil and bandage the area.

• Baking soda- As most of us would already know, this natural substance can be used as a disinfectant. It has shown some potential as an effective wart remedy.

Natural Products

You can easily whip up your own wart remedies from ingredients in your kitchen. There is however, also the option of using a natural wart removal product. A number of products sold online claim to contain natural herbs and vitamins that can all work together to get rid of warts. Some natural ingredients that may be included are vitamin E, bloodroot, aloe, tea tree oil, peppermint oil and mayapple. The only real challenge for you is to find the most reputable natural remedy brand. Not every product can do what it says it can.

Not all wart remedies can be good for your condition. The degrees of effectiveness of various remedies typically vary. This is simply because there are not set standards for remedy mixtures and application.

Not all types of warts need wart treatment. Some people however may choose to have their warts treated when they begin to cause too much embarrassment or discomfort. There are several treatment options to consider.

Medication

Using medicated creams on warts is one of the mildest forms of wart treatment. They may however irritate sensitive skin and cause a little discomfort. Among the medications you should consider are:

• Salicylic acid- This is the most basic form of treatment but is most often recommended only for common and plantar warts or those that grow on the hands, feet, elbows and knees. The chemical wears away the wart so you can easily peel or rub away the wart layer by layer.

• Tretinoin- This solution is most often used for acne but it can also serve as a form of wart treatment. Tretinoin can help normalize skin cell growth and is best applied on flat warts on the face.

• Cantharidin- This is a chemical extracted from a beetle. As a form of treatment, it causes the wart to blister, making it easier to remove or peel off. It is recommended for common warts. Not everyone will trust this treatment most probably because of its origins.

• Bichloracetic acid- This medicine destroys warts by attacking their protein component. It can be used on common and plantar warts.

• Aldara- This wart treatment can be used on genital warts. It works by increasing a person’s immune response, allowing the body to fight the virus that causes warts.

• Podophyllin- This is another form of medication that can be applied directly to the warts. It is often used for genital warts.

Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery

In some cases, doctors may choose a more aggressive form of wart treatment in the form of cryosurgery or cryotherapy. This involves the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill the warts which simply slough off after some time. Although this procedure can be used for different kinds of warts on the hands and feet, it is often recommended for genital warts.

Laser Treatment

The pulse dye or CO2 laser can be used on various wart types. Lasers remove the fluid in the warts. Although this form of treatment is effective, it may cause some pain and scars may be slightly evident. The option is also a bit costly.

Cauterization

Wart treatment can come in the form of cauterization. This usually involves the use of an electric needle to burn the warts. This may also possibly result in some scarring.

Things to Consider

There is no direct prohibition against treating warts yourself. Salicylic acid and other mild medications may be bought over the counter if you want to apply it yourself. If you do choose chemical wart treatment however, it is always best to ask for your doctor’s advice. Your chosen treatment may not be appropriate for the kind of wart that you have and may even irritate your skin.

Doctors typically assess the kind of wart that you have before recommending a type of treatment. Your health condition, wart location and wart size are also taken into consideration.