Warts and corns are thickened, rough pieces of skin that commonly develop on the hands, feet, and other body parts. Warts are typically caused by viruses in the human papilloma virus (HPV) family, and corns are caused by pressure or friction – usually on your feet due to shoes that don’t fit properly.
Warts and corns are mostly harmless, although the virus that causes warts is contagious and can be spread to others through direct contact. Warts can be itchy, especially on the feet, and both warts and corns can be uncomfortable if you put pressure on them as you walk.
Common Treatments
Many warts go away on their own over a period of months as your body fights the virus causing the wart. A strong immune system is important in overcoming the virus. Corns can go away gradually on their own, too, usually if you eliminate the pressure and friction causing them.
Typical treatments include:
- surgical removal by a doctor
- burning the wart or corn off with mild acid (some of these types of removal kits are available over the counter at the pharmacy
- cryotherapy – freezing the wart to death. This may be done by the doctor. Kits are also available at the pharmacy.
None of these common treatment options are natural or very pleasant, which is why I’m happy to report that the International Journal of Dermatology published a study, which has found that garlic juice treatment effectively removed warts and corns.
Antiviral Garlic Treatment for Warts & Corns
Of course, garlic is best known for its culinary uses, but it also has a long medicinal history of being used for its antiviral properties, which the researchers speculate may have been among the reasons for its effectiveness.
If you’d like to try the garlic juice remedy on your own wart or corn, here’s how to do it. (Remember to ask your physician before trying this or any other natural remedy.)
- First, wash your hands. Remember the virus that causes warts is contagious, so avoid making any contact with the wart and broken skin on other parts of your body.
- Peel one clove of garlic, then cut it in half.
- Gently rub the wart with the cut side of the clove for a few minutes until the wart is completely covered with natural garlic juices.
- Tape the cut side of the garlic half against the wart using medical tape, making sure that the garlic completely covers the wart, as well as some surrounding skin in case the garlic shifts during the application.
- Apply the garlic at night so it has time to work. In the morning, take the garlic off to let your skin breathe. Repeat this garlic juice application every night with fresh garlic until the wart is gone.
The length of your treatment will typically depend on the size of your wart – the larger the wart, the longer the treatment. Smaller warts can sometimes take as little as a week.
Keep Warts From Coming Back!
To help prevent future warts, ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. A strong immune system can overcome the wart viruses (and countless other medical problems as well!).
Both vitamins and minerals play many crucial roles in the body, including immune health. Foundation Vitamins is a complete, professional grade multivitamin and multimineral supplement that provides a full spectrum of highly absorbed vitamins and mineral chelates to give your body everything it needs to stay healthy.
Immune Cell Support Formula is designed to boost the immune system. This natural, ultra high-grade formula contains larch arabinogalactin, olive leaf extract and aloe vera extract — all proven to stimulate immune cell activity (NK cells, also known as natural killer cells) to fight off viruses such as wart-causing HPV strains.
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Photo credit: Rebecca Siegel / CC BY 2.0