Warts are those annoying bumps that often pop up on the hands and feet and love to make appearances on the face and legs. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, warts are skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). While they are not cancerous, they are contagious and can be painful. Traditional treatments for warts include freezing, burning and excising the growth.
People who are prone to warts or have recurring warts will be relieved to know there is a much more simple and natural remedy using a common household ingredient. According to a study in the International Journal of Dermatology, garlic extract has proven to be an effective treatment for warts and corns, skin growths caused by repeated pressure or friction.
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To treat warts and corns using garlic at home, apply raw, crushed garlic or fresh garlic oil directly to the warts, according to Livestrong.com. For best results, apply garlic three times daily for at least a week, or until the wart dries out. A Youtube tutorial from Dr. Docus shows how to remove warts using a clove of garlic, a knife and cotton balls. According to Dr. Docus, first peel a garlic clove and cut it in two pieces. Grind it into a paste and then apply it directly to the wart. Place a piece of cotton over the wart and bandage the skin growth.
Best Health Magazine recommends first covering the healthy skin around the wart with petroleum jelly, and then applying freshly crushed garlic to the wart and covering it with a bandage. This is just one of an array of natural wart remedies from Best Health Magazine, which include dandelions, birch bark, banana peels and papaya.
Garlic is such a potent healing agent because it has properties that are anti-viral and anti-tumor, according to GreenMedInfo. Garlic is also known to enhance the immune system and help breakdown fibrin, a protein that impedes the flow of blood.
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