Easy, Natural Wart Removal

Warts are gross. I hate them. But the truth is, I lived with two of them for about 3 years. They were on the fingers of two different hands. Where the heck did they come from?! Who knows. I got them when I was pregnant with Annie, 3 ½ years ago. I was told they were a virus that would run its course and then they would go away. Well, this virus stuck around. It never went away. Fish, house guests, and warts start to stink after three days. –> Tweet This

I wanted to write about how I finally got rid of mine, but then I saw a post at Kitchen Stewardship about how she removed warts. I told Barry I had nixed my post idea and he gave me the push to do it anyway – because my way was a bit different and simpler. But read her post too so that you can get more great ideas. 

Natural Wart Removal

Wart on my left hand

I tried everything to get those stinkin’ warts to go away.

-Home wart removal kit (it BURNS!)

-Two trips to have them burned off at the dermatologist (they came back)

-Duct tape

-Banana peel (I know, that’s weird, right?)

-Hacking them off with a knife (okay, so not really but I thought about it)

-Exorcising the wart demon (Be GONE!)

Natural Wart Removal

Wart on my right hand

After Andy arrived I realized that I had HAD IT. They were so ugly I was afraid to show people my hands. And my lifetime dream of being an awesome hand model was gone (I could still eat doughnuts and be a hand model).  See how ugly they are? *Shudder*

Natural Wart Removal

So, Barry had read that using tea tree oil would get rid of the warts. I LOVE TEA TREE OIL. I use it on just about everything…it’s an awesome essential oil – most likely my favorite one. Well, except for eucalyptus oil because it gets rid of THE VAPORS coming from your toilet. Ahem.

Anyway, I started using it every night before I went to bed. I would put one drop of the oil on the cloth part of a bandaid and then put the bandaid directly on my wart. Did it burn? No…but after using that home kit that burned like hell-fire-and-brimstone maybe all my nerve endings were dead. Ahem.

It took about 1 month for my small one to go away and about 2 months for my LARGE one to go away. I realize for some people that seems like a long time – but I’ve lived with them for 3+ years, so it seemed really short to me. It was also easy because I just put it on and went to bed.

Natural Wart Removal

Look! They’re GONE!!! I <3 you, tea tree oil. Will you marry me?

Disclosure: Some posts include links to sponsors or affiliates, which give me a small percentage of the sale. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so it helps to support this site, so thank you!

About Stacy

Stacy is the author of Crock On: A Semi-Whole Foods Slow Cooker Cookbook and a stay-at-home mom to her two children, Annie (3) and Andy (newborn). After an “awakening” in March 2011, her family switched to a more natural, whole foods diet. She likes to blog about how to live on less than you make and how to eat good food while doing it. Her passion is teaching others how to save money and she tag teams with her husband in this endeavor. At Stacy Makes Cents you’ll find information on how to save money in the kitchen, how to have fun with your kids, and how to be thrifty in all areas of life. Her passion is teaching others how to live debt free. Make sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with her daily antics.

  • Christina

    My daughter started getting warts in 6th grade. She is now in 11th and has them on 5 fingers. We tried the home kits, the doctor’s office freezing, and for the past 5 months she has been getting monthly injections in them. While they are diminishing, they are still there. I use a few other essential oils but haven’t bought tea tree yet. I’m thinking I will go buy some this weekend. Wishing I had heard of this sooner. Thank you for posting this!

    • Stacy

      Bless her heart. I hope it works!

  • Amanda

    Apple cider vinegar works too. It stings but gets rid of them in about a week or so. You take a peice of cotton and roll it to the size of the wart. Dip it in vinegar. Sqeeze the excess out put it on and cover it with a peice of tape or bandaid. If you do it carefully it wont hurt the surrounding skin. The acid in the vinegar burns through the wart in no time. It will turn brown and fall off, new smooth skin grows underneath.

    • Stacy

      Turn brown? Cool! Mine just shrunk until it went away.

    • Janet McCollom

      I swear by ACV! Works quickly and is very economical.It can also reduce the size of moles.

      • Stacy

        Yuck. I hate moles.

  • Samantha

    I have had a wart for 4 years and have tried to cut it out many times and it comes back. I will have to try this! Thanks for sharing!

    • Stacy

      Blasted warts. I hate those things.

  • http://www.josheweasgarden.com Michaeleen

    This may have been obvious, forgive me, but did you remove the bandaid each AM, or just leave it on all day and replace it with a fresh one each night. My son, age 7, has had a wart on his big toe since he was 2! I’ve tried most of what you tried too but it really, really likes him…

    • Stacy

      Yes. I removed the band-aid each morning and started over the next night. I can’t stand band-aids on my hands…..sometimes I would get aggravated and take it off during the night. LOL

  • Gina

    These are wonderful tips to keep handy! But I was also given another remedy to try several years ago, when my son had one that was quite bothersome:

    1. Find a copper penny (the older the penny, the better, due to more copper content)
    2. SPIT (yes, I know…) on the penny
    3. Rub the penny on the wart…do this morning and evening until the wart disappears.
    There is some sort of chemical reaction which takes place between the penny, saliva, and the skin that makes the wart disappear. I know it sounds crazy (and kinda yucky) but my son’s wart wart was GONE in about 2 weeks…and no pain!:)

    • Stacy

      Well who knew? That is stinkin’ awesome right there.

  • http://embracingeverything.wordpress.com/ Erinn Linkous

    I hate warts. I don’t even like the word hate but I really do hate warts. I had (3) of them when I was in high school and they were always so embarrassing. My last one was on my hand and after several of the above treatments, my grandparent cut a potato and put it on my wart for about 30 minutes and told me not to think about it again (I totally thought about it again). Anyways, after about 2 months it just fell off. Not sure why or what caused it but I was just glad they were all GONE. I will definitely use the Tea Tree Oil if anyone in our house gets one again (prayerfully not!) FYI- warts are contagious and spread if they’re planter warts so if you ever get one again, be sure you all are careful what you touch and wash the bathroom after each use (planter warts grow and spread in any wet/humid area). I was a swimmer so you can guess where I got all of mine…YUCK AGAIN!

    • Stacy

      I don’t think mine was a planter wart – at least they didn’t tell me that at the dermatologist. Cool about the potato!

  • Heather Robinson

    Stacy, you make me laugh. I love reading your blog.

    • Stacy

      :-) I love writing it.

  • Michele

    Any thoughts on how you would use these on facial warts? I have had one for years on the skin between my nose & upper lip – I know it’s gross, but I keep cutting it off as it grows…. Would love to get rid of it & all the others I have permanently!

    • Stacy

      I would try the apple cider vinegar that a few commenters have noted. :-)

  • http://moodyfamilysjourney.blogspot.com Keira

    My oldest son had warts and we tried all those traditional remedies–the burning at the doc’s office just left scars, ugh! So, my friend, a naturopath doc, told him to take Thuja (we got the 30c blue vile from Whole Foods) and after about two weeks of taking 3 pellets under the tongue each day they were GONE! I think thuja is some kind of fungus and it was treating like with like. He has not had a wart since, and that was two years ago.

    • Stacy

      Never heard of that! Thanks for the info. :-)

  • Rebekah

    I volunteer at an inner city school and this precious little 2nd grade boy has a big wart on the side of his neck. Poor guy. I’m going to give him some ACV, cotton balls and bandaids and hopefully he will use them and see this sucker disappear! Sorry. I cannot give him the tea tree oil. Too risky and I might get in trouble, but ACV – I think I can get away with sending that home with him!!

    • Stacy

      I think you’re right – smart thinking!

  • Mrs. K Hewett

    Thank you for sharing this info. Would this work on plantar warts do you think? I have one that I’d love to get rid of permanently. Thanks!

    • Stacy

      I’d try it…can’t hurt! :)

      • Mrs. K Hewett

        I will. Nothing else helps. Gotta find some tea tree oil…

        • Stacy

          If you don’t find it locally, Vitacost is a good place to get it!

  • Jennifer

    It’s great to see this has worked for someone else! I got rid of a wart on my foot (that had been plaguing me for years!) the same way! Since mine was located on the bottom of my foot I only treated it at night. I’d soak a cotton ball in tea tree oil and bandage it over the area and in only 2-3 weeks the wart was gone! Very little pain involved, too! Amazing how such a simple (and natural) solution can work so much better than the conventional methods! :)

    • Stacy

      Who needs wart remover? Tea tree oil rocks.

  • Roxanne

    Thank you for this posting! My daughter (who is also in high school) has a big one between two fingers and it’s gross! We’ve tried everything and today, we will try the vinegar!

    • Stacy

      Keep us all posted!

  • Rebecca

    Is that a special kind of tea tree oil? 15%? I have tea tree oil from Mountain Rose Herbs. My husband has a toe fungus that he has been treating with tea tree oil. He lost the toe nail before he started treating it so he puts it on the skin every night and works it in with a tooth brush. So far the new nail is growing back fine with no sign of fungus. :-)

    • Stacy

      I think it’s just diluted. It was on sale at the health food store. ;-)

    • Sarah

      If I were you, I’d give my toothbrush a sniff before using it…just in case, lol

      • Stacy

        I always sniff my toothbrush….doesn’t everyone? LOL

  • Tammy

    I’m going to run out & get some tea tree oil! My poor boys have had several warts on their hands and nothing has gotten rid of them. Those drops from the store hurt like heck! Thank you for the advice.

    • Stacy

      I know, right? It’s like fire in a bottle. You could use that stuff to teach a sermon on Hell.

      • Tammy

        ROFL!!! Oh my…you seriously had me laughing out loud! :D

        • Stacy

          :-) That’s my job!

  • Ramie Schulteis

    I agree, warts are nasty! But what about toenail fungus? My daughter hurt her toe and now the nail is thick and disgusting. Any suggestions?

    • Stacy

      Yep! Tea tree oil to the rescue!

  • http://getalonghome.com Cindy

    Awesome. My boys have warts on their hands. Now I know what to do.

    • Stacy

      What is up with all these warts going around? Ack! I think we should ban them.

  • Alycia

    Tea tree oil also works on verrucas. I was told by a chiropodist to dab the oil on with a cotton bud first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It took about six weeks for a whole plague of verrucas to disappear completely. We have also used tea tree very effectively on a large mosaic wart (about 3 inches across) on a 4yr olds knee.

    • Stacy

      I <3 tea tree oil!

  • Brenda

    My grandmother’s old wives tale said to go to someone’s house, steal their dishrag, and bury it! Lol my moms sister did this to mom once, and she swore that it worked. You’re not supposed to tell the person, but years later she confessed to mom about it. Can’t recall if her wart came back….and not that I condone stealing, but desperate times cause family members to forgive such a thing!
    My daughter has been plagued with hand warts since she was little. At one time I used those wart remover band aids, and when the wart got all white and soft after several days, I took a knife and scraped it off. There were about a dozen long seeds inside! Crazy! I scraped those out and it went away. But as an adult she now has another that will not go away after several different tries with OTC remedies. I will tell her about the vinegar, and if that doesn’t work, the tree oil or maybe even the penny is worth a try! (I know pennies will electrocute slugs!) LOL

    • Stacy

      I love all these old tales! :-) They make me smile!

  • Susan GinIA

    So not wart related, but had to share this as I thought you may find a new and useful tip. I so wish I could find such a cool wipes holder for my plastic bags.
    http://www.iheartnaptime.net/household-tips/

    • Stacy

      I love it when y’all share tips!

  • Sarah

    If anybody has any suggestions for treating toenail fungus I would greatly appreciate it!!

    • Stacy

      Tea Tree Oil! I’ve read it works great! It’s antibacterial.

  • Pam

    Speaking of gross, disgusting skin afflictions, does anyone know of a way to get rid of skin tags? I had the doctor cut them, and burn them, and it hurt for days and left scars.

    • Stacy

      I’ve had a few cut off myself, so I’m not much help. :-(

    • Kim

      Lemon oil. Or oregano oil, but that may burn a bit. Hate those dang tags!

      • Stacy

        Probably diluted with some almond oil they’d be fine. :-)

  • http://www.bambusasolutions.com.au Beth

    Thanks for the Tea Tree Oil tip. I’m going to try that. I have two warts on my left foot. One has been there for quite a while and the wart treatment I bought hasn’t worked because the biggest of the two is in a really awkward spot.

    When I was a kid I had a wart and a fungal growth on the palm of one of my hands for about a year. Tried all sorts of OTC remedies that didn’t work.

    What finally got rid of both the wart and the fungus was aloe vera – straight from the plant. Just snap off part of a leaf, split it open and massage the gel into the offending area. Can’t remember how long it took to get rid of them, but I do remember that it worked.

    I would try it again, but I don’t have a plant at the moment. Pretty sure I have some Tea Tree Oil though.

    • Stacy

      Aloe plants are SO useful! I need to get one….wonder if I can keep it alive? :-)

  • Erin

    What is it with pregnancy and warts? I’ve had one on my hand since my pregnancy 7 years ago. Nothing has worked- so I’m going to order some tea tree oil. Do you know if it works for skin tags too? My little one has had a skin tag on her arm since birth.

    • Stacy

      I haven’t tried it for that….I had mine cut off. But, I don’t see that it could hurt. :-)

  • http://beginhealthnow.com Byron@beginhealthnow.com

    Wart usually sprouts almost every part of our body just like how mushrooms sprout everywhere. It’s hard itself preventing it let along remove it. However there are a lot of effective methods that can be applied with the help of modern technology and that is with the help of various methods either by doing laser removal or applying some ointment on the affected area. There are indeed a lot of helpful methods so don’t ever lose hope.

    http://beginhealthnow.com/wart-removal/is-wartrol-as-good-as-they-say/

    • Stacy

      Right! Never lose hope! Get rid of those nasty boogers.

  • http://pair-ranting.blogspot.com/ Amanda

    I had a wart that I once found adorable due to its tiny size on my hand near my pinkie. Regardless, I got rid of it using Tea Tree Oil. Several years ago it CAME BACK, and now the tea tree oil isn’t working…although the little bottle I have is expired (wondering if this makes a huge difference or not?) Thanks for the tips using Apple Cider Vinegar, maybe I’ll double up and see what happens!

    • Stacy

      I hope the vinegar works!