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Warts bring to mind witches and their unsightly skin, things you probably don’t want to be associated with.
Luckily, they aren’t dangerous (other than genital warts, which can lead to some kinds of cancer) and usually go away by themselves after two to six months.
But if you’re short on patience or have one in an embarrassing area, try these tips from the Twitterverse to get rid of warts faster.
#1 Cryotherapy
Let’s start with the most common way to get rid of warts: cryotherapy.
This is just a fancy word for using a very cold substance, like liquid nitrogen, to freeze things like warts off.
Cryotherapy for anogenital warts is my ambulatory clinic happy place. Don’t @ me.
— The Gay Resident (@thegaymd) October 17, 2018
The treatment only takes about a minute at a time, but you do need to go back to the doctor once a week until the wart is removed.
While it’s very effective, cryotherapy isn’t guaranteed to get rid of every wart.
#2 Salicylic Acid
While the idea of using acid on your skin might seem scary, salicylic acid is a common alternative to cryotherapy for getting rid of warts.
plantar warts. Have you been barefoot on anything nasty lately? Get a salicylic acid stick and rub it on. It will take a while but they will fall off. Or go to dr and get them frozen by liquid nitrogen.
— Brad Kovach (@bradkovach) September 3, 2019
Salicylic acid exfoliates your skin by slowly burning it off in layers.
This can irritate your skin, triggering your immune system to fight against the HPV virus that causes warts.
It’s a very effective treatment with a 75% success rate.
But you do need to be careful, as it can create complications with some health conditions (like diabetes).
So random product endorsement here: I had 2 ridiculously stubborn plantar warts for the past 2-3 years that nothing got rid of. Bought a product called Wart Stick off of Amazon, and it got rid of them completely. 🦶👍 (It’s like chapstick full of salicylic acid.)
— Kadusey (@kadusey2) July 26, 2019
#3 Apple Cider Vinegar
Not sure you want to risk using salicylic acid on your skin?
Raw apple cider vinegar is thought to work the same way!
25. Need a wart to disappear? Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. Take a q-tip and apply it to the wart overnight.
— Ayele & Co [ Eye-Yell ] (@AYELEANDCO) November 28, 2016
There’s some scientific research that supports this idea but professionals do warn you shouldn’t try using apple cider vinegar on genital warts—go to the doctor instead for those.
#4 Aspirin
If you want to get rid of your warts without buying new products, check your medicine cabinet for some aspirin and band-aids.
Warts.... aspirin crushed couple drops of water to make a paste apply to warts cover with bandaid repeat should be gone in 2 days
— Save our Children ❌🌟🌟🌟 (@Neen_Katzmann) January 14, 2019
Create an aspirin paste by crushing it and adding a little bit of water. Put it onto your wart, cover with a band-aid, and let the magic begin.
There isn’t any scientific evidence for this method. But plenty of people have had success with it and it’s thought to work the same way as salicylic acid.
Two days might be a little optimistic, though. It could still take a few weeks to work!
#5 Vitamin C
A similar trick is to crush a vitamin C tablet and make a paste you can apply to your skin.
There isn’t any research on its effectiveness in removing warts, but topical application of vitamin C is good for your skin.
Perhaps a better way is to combat the HPV virus that causes warts, rather than target the symptoms.
Some people found that taking mega-doses of vitamin C works very well for this:
@wellnessgeek I've daily dosed 7 grams of Vitamin C for the last year: no colds. Toe fungus I had for six years cleared up. Warts: gone.
— david greg taylor (@davidgregtaylor) May 28, 2009
15 years a go I read Linus Pauling's work on vitamin C, I took 2000mg of vitamin C daily for 30 days and finally got rid of the warts (virus) I had since childhood. The warts just dropped off never to return!
— Shahid Maqbool (@shahid_mng) March 31, 2020
This is scientifically proven, but you should be wary of following David’s example in mega-dosing on vitamin C for as long as a year.
Too much vitamin C can lead to a bunch of new health issues.
#6 Duct Tape
Remarkably, duct tape has an 85% success rate when it comes to removing warts.
Read up on duct tape for warts tip! Did with my kid...put duct tape on it, wart goes away! 5 days or so if I recall. #magic
— Unconventional Dad (@unconventnldad) February 19, 2018
Unconventional Dad may be exaggerating when he claims it works in five days.
But researchers have found that putting a small piece of duct tape over a wart for a few hours, then cleaning and exfoliating the area, will work over the course of four to six weeks.
Duct tape will remove warts. Leave it wrapped up , clean daily, dry, replace tape for 4 weeks. Warts gone. Even stubborn plantar warts.
— Misty (@maj4003) September 1, 2019
#7 Pineapple
Last, we have a bit of a wildcard entry: pineapple.
oh no, captain- warts spreading? This sounds ominous! Apply pineapple multiple times daily and that should clear it right up-
— Tamara (@mysticaloaks) May 5, 2018
Pineapples strengthen bones, relieve colds, aid digestion, dissolve warts, & block diarrhea!
— EMarie (@iamemarie_) February 20, 2012
While there’s no scientific evidence to support this theory, there are people who have used pineapple juice to remove warts.
It’s assumed the natural acids and enzymes in pineapple juice work the same way salicylic acid does.
Warts Be Gone!
Nobody wants warts to stick around any longer than they have to.
Try some of the tested methods above and you’ll have a fighting chance of getting rid of your warts faster than usual.
And if you’ve tried any of the methods above or think you have a better one then let us know about it in the comments below!