Apple cider vinegar for warts

What are warts?

Warts are a skin condition caused by human papillomavirus or HPV. They can appear anywhere on the body, but commonly on face, hands and soles of the feet. They can also appear in the genital area, and those are called genital warts.

Warts can be flat or bumpy but they are always an abnormal growths on the skin. They are not malignant or dangerous, but they can be unsightly and annoying. There may be only one wart in the affected area, or there can be many of them, forming a cluster.

Today the medical science offers many options for removing warts, ranging from topical treatments, like salicylic acid, to interventions like freezing or surgery. There are also many home remedies that aim to solve the problem with warts. Apple cider vinegar is one of them.

What is apple cider vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is a very healthy liquid obtained with fermentation of apple juice. When taken internally, it has many health benefits, like regulating blood pressure, cholesterol, preventing infection and improving the immune system. If used externally, it can be beneficial for sunburns, cuts, scrapes and bruises, and also for warts.

Apple cider vinegar for warts

Some people believe that using apple cider vinegar on warts is the fastest and most natural way to solve this skin problem. Warts seem to respond very well to apple cider vinegar, and some doctors even believe that this simple home remedy is more effective than most over-the-counter products. Apple cider vinegar is inexpensive, widely available if not already present in the kitchen cupboards, and it does not harm or irritate the skin.

This remedy works best if applied before bedtime. The skin must be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water, and dry. The procedure is extremely simple. It only takes a cotton ball soaked in some apple cider vinegar, attached firmly to the wart with a band aid and left overnight. A clean cotton sock can be worn to ensure the cotton ball does not stain the sheets and stays in place.

If this treatment is repeated every night for a week, the wart will go away. Of course, each night a new cotton ball should be used, in order to avoid further contamination with HPV. Apple cider vinegar acts as an exfoliating or peeling agent. The wart hardens, it turns dark, almost black, and eventually it falls off, leaving no scars.

Apple cider vinegar can also be used on genital warts or warts in anal area. However, because this liquid is acidic, it may cause a rather severe burning sensation. If a person chooses this method for removing genital warts even though it can be painful, he or she should only apply the vinegar for 20 - 25 minutes. Apple cider vinegar can severely irritate the sensitive skin of genital and rectal area.