Warts are ugly growths on skin, caused by the viral infection human papilloma virus (HPV). Hand warts are usually referred to as 'common' warts since they are almost always found on fingers and hands. Foot warts can be found on toes and the bottoms of feet and are usually referred to as 'planter' warts. Filiform warts are warts that are commonly found on the mouth, eyes, or nose and have a finger like shape. For adults, even most hand, foot, and mouth warts are tougher to get rid of, while children tend to grow out of them as they age. However, warts tend to be more commonly found in kids than adults. Here are some tips for getting rid of hand, foot, and mouth warts easily and quickly so that you can feel more comfortable with your body and not have to hide yourself from the world.
Get rid of common, planter, and filiform warts with salicylic acid. Salicylic acid works by encouraging skin cells to shed, preventing pores from clogging, and promoting new skin growth. Aspirin contains salicylic acid and can help get rid of warts. Try putting a moist aspirin over a hand wart and covering it with a Band-Aid to promote healing. The aspirin will get rid of the dead skin on top of the wart and encourage new skin to generate, pushing the infection out. You can also use the herb willow bark which is actually salix alba, containing, of course, salicylic acid. Willow bark takes care of inflammation and viral infections such as a warts on your hands, feet, and mouth. Place a moistened willow bark tablet on the wart and cover with a Band-Aid or bandage to heal and remove the wart. Willow bark tablets can be found at any health food or drug store, and even Wal-Mart.
Use regular duct tape to remove hand, foot, and mouth warts. Duct tape is actually very effective as removing warts when left on for approximately 1 week. To remove a wart using duct tape, simply (1) soak the wart in hot water, (2) dry thoroughly, (3) file the wart with an emery board or pumice stone (bought near the emery boards at any store), (4) soak again in hot water, (5) dry completely, and (6) cover with a piece of duct tape. Be sure to push the duct tape down sternly over the wart and cover it completely. Keep a piece of duct tape on the wart for about a week (longer if the wart is a big one). You will need to repeat the 6 steps above once a day in order to help the wart go away. And just be sure to put a fresh piece of duct tape on the common, planter, or filiform wart each time. The duct tape suffocates the wart and pulls out the infection to remove the wart easier. When you soak and file the wart, you are sloughing off the dead infected skin and helping to promote fresh skin.
Use an over-the-counter (OTC) medication to remove hand, foot, and mouth warts quickly and easily. There are many FDA approved OTC wart removal medications that are effective in getting rid of common, planter, and filiform warts. However, some take a little longer than others to remove warts completely, and can be a little costly when having to purchase them often. Most OTC wart removers contain salicylic acid, which, as stated before, can work well in removing warts. Some good OTC wart remover medications to try are: Compound W (also comes in kid strength), Wartner Planter Wart Remover, Dr. Scholls Freeze Away Wart Remover, Premier Wart Remover Liquid, and Trans-Ver-Sal Wart Remover Patches. All these name brand wart removers come in either bandages, liquid or spray. Choose the type of wart remover that's best for you and your children.
Seek the help of a physician to remove common warts fast and painlessly. Warts can be removed quickly and easily in the doctor's office using cryotherapy (freezing the wart), acid (removes wart by burning it off), surgical removal (cutting the wart out from the base), and even laser therapy (uses lasers to remove the wart and infection). Some of these treatments for removing warts can be a little painful, but do work well. Many times a doctor will offer a local anesthetic to relieve and prevent pain from wart removal. Also, unless you have health insurance coverage, these methods of removing hand, foot, and mouth warts can get costly. Talk to your physician about wart removal before making any decisions. He may be able to suggest a cheaper, less painful alternative to getting rid of your wart(s). However, if you're looking for the best and easiest way to remove an annoying common, planter, or filiform wart quickly, having your doctor take care of it in the office is probably the best choice.