Get Rid of Genital Warts at Home

Genital warts are lesions that grow on the genital area of the body. Once inflicted with the virus, the next most difficult thing to deal with is the embarrassment of having it. Although it is nothing to be ashamed of, before the condition gets out of hand, search your kitchen or bathroom for these discreet, inexpensive home remedies.

Steps

Using Creams, Oils and Products, etc.

  1. Try over-the-counter solutions. HPV is becoming such a common thing that the number of products available is spreading like wildfire. Take a trip to your local Walmart and see what they have available next to the aspirin and Neosporin.
    • Many users main complaint about these is that it just takes too long. Generally, you'll be looking at at least a few weeks before you start noticing results.[1] If you have the time, these are pain-free and FDA approved.
  2. Look for products with salicylic acid. This is one of the safest, most popular treatments -- but it can take months.[2] Compound W and Occlusal are two products that use salicylic acid to soften the warts, aiding in their eventual non-existence. It's the same stuff used in most acne medications.
    • With salicylic acid, it's best to soak the wart in water first, apply the acid, and leave it overnight. Cover the area with a bandage or cloth so it doesn't rub off on your sheets.[2]
  3. Use duct tape. When they said it was all-purpose, boy, did they mean it. In 2007, USA Today featured an article on this tool being used for genital wart removal -- and it worked for 20% of subjects. 1 in 5 is better than nothing, right?[3]
    • With this method, you place duct tape over the warts and leave it for six days. After that length of time has passed, remove the tape and file away at the warts with an emery board. Repeat until the warts are gone.[3]
  4. Try castor oil. This stuff has been used for ages for numerous medical purposes. If you can't stand the smell (it's rather potent!), mix it with a better smelling oil, like peppermint. There are a couple different ways to go about this method:
    • Soak a cotton ball in the stuff and tape onto the wart. Change it three times a day, or as desired.[1]
    • Make a paste with baking soda and apply to the wart. Reapply every few hours. To avoid getting the mixture on your clothes, cover with gauze or a bandage.[4]
  5. Use tea tree oil. If you've heard of it working in the fight against acne, it works similarly on genital warts -- with less of a burning sensation than apple cider vinegar. The research is still being done, but it's promising.
    • Apply it just like the castor oil -- a soaked cotton ball should be left on the wart throughout the day (and night) until the wart has completely disappeared. The length of time is determined by the size of the wart -- weeks to a few months, usually.[3]

Using What's In Your Kitchen

  1. Try apple cider vinegar. After a quick trip to the grocery store, you're ready to start treating those bad boys. If you can stomach it, simply apply a bit to a cotton ball (just like with the castor oil) and leave it on the wart overnight. Wash it off in the morning. The warts should be completely gone (and with a noticeable difference in hours) in 2-3 weeks.[1]
    • This method can be rather painful. If you've tried to leave it on overnight but can't handle the very literal burn, apply it to the wart in 15 minute increments throughout the day.
  2. Use vitamin E oil and garlic. It's official -- garlic is the duct tape of the kitchen. If you want to stay away from western medicine (and vampires), garlic is how you do it. As for vitamin E oil, a good substitute is fish oil (super high in Vitamin E).
    • For this method, rub the wart with the oil generously. Then, cover the area with crushed garlic. Place gauze over the wart (and garlic spread) and leave for up to 48 hours. After that window of time has passed, take it off and reapply.[3]
  3. Slice up an onion. Second in command to the all-powerful garlic is the onion. Though science may beg to differ, grandmas and housewives alike swear by the stuff. Take a few onion slices to the wart and cover with a bandage, letting the juices do their magic. Reapply every few hours.[3]
  4. Take an oatmeal bath. If you didn't already know of the wonders of oatmeal for your health (super food to the rescue!), it's great for your skin, too. It won't get rid of the warts, but it will lessen the irritation, pain, and constant itchiness.[3]
    • If immersing your entire body in a warm bath isn't down your hygienic alley, make a scrub from 1 tablespoon oatmeal and water to use as an exfoliate. Having clean, dirt-free, fresh skin can help prevent future warts from appearing.

Improving Your Situation

  1. Be careful where you apply your remedies. If you're using creams and products dedicated to wart removal, make sure to only use them on the wart itself. If you get them on unaffected areas, it's no party. Your skin can blister, redden, swell, and otherwise add to your laundry list of woes.
    • That being said, make sure you have genital warts before you go treating these as genital warts! Applying apple cider vinegar to your genitals and spending the night moaning in a fiery agony is not the price you should pay for a particularly bad ingrown hair.
  2. Don't scratch or itch at your warts. If you do, you risk bursting the warts open, causing the virus to spread and more warts to spawn. Now there's a pretty picture. Try the oatmeal bath, a bath with calming bath salts, or applying a cold compress to relieve the itching.[5]
    • Spreading the virus is a concern you should have. Consider washing your under garments separately and in hot water, along with not wearing the same ones for longer than 6-8 hours.[5]
  3. Keep your genitals dry. A moist environment is a breeding ground for bacteria. If you don't dry the area, you could be exacerbating the problem. Allows thoroughly dry down with a towel or use a blow dryer. If the warts are dry, they'll heal more quickly.[5]
    • If you do use a blow dryer, use the low heat setting. You don't want to hurt yourself![3]
  4. Stick to a healthy diet. As with any infection, your body has to fight it off. In most cases, HPV will actually go away on its own.[6] However, if you choose to do nothing, your case may get much, much worse before it goes away -- if it goes away. Cover your bases and keep your immune system top notch.
    • Eat a healthy diet. That means loading up on fruits, veggies, whole grains, and getting plenty of vitamins and minerals. The better you feel, the quicker your body can restore itself.
    • Take efforts to ward off sickness by always washing your hands and keeping good hygiene. The fewer viruses your body has to fight off, the more it can concentrate on the issue at hand, clearing up the warts sooner rather than later.
  5. See your doctor. The absolute best way to treat genital warts is through a prescription, like Aldara, Efudex and Podofilox.[1] These are proven to fight off warts in a safe and timely manner. What's more, your doctor is a wealth of information on how to handle the whole situation -- mentally and emotionally, this circumstance can be very draining.
    • Furthermore, there are still no medical claims that have approved these home remedies. A visit to the doctor is highly recommended because even when you are successful in getting rid of the genital wart, there is no guarantee the virus is completely gone.



Tips

  • Most, if not all, of these methods take a considerable amount of time. When you set out on a method, stick with it! The results can only be had if you keep at it.

Warnings

  • Every home remedy known to man must be taken with a grain of salt. Some will experience success with one method while others write it off as complete myth. Know that whatever method you try, it is not guaranteed to work.
  • HPV is a serious medical issue and should be treated by a doctor. Just because a wart is going away does not mean another won't return in its place.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://voices.yahoo.com/home-treatment-options-genital-warts-5729930.html?cat=68
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/warts-and-plantar-warts-home-treatment
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 http://www.bestgenitalwartstreatment.org/home-remedies-for-genital-warts
  4. ↑ http://www.myhomeremedies.com/topic.cgi?topicid=407&page=2
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.ladycarehealth.com/9-natural-ways-to-get-rid-of-genital-warts/
  6. ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm

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