Does anyone know an herbal or natural remedy for childrens warts. My little 5 year old daughter has been to dermatologist and after driving two hours told us to buy over the counter treatment. It worked on the ones on her little hand only to come up again on her chest. She is very fair complected and her skin is sensitive so it would have to be something mild. Any suggestions?

-- sallyp (sally@cvalley.net), August 17, 2000

Answers

My young daughter also developed warts, one started on her finger and spread up her arm until she had between 10-15 that we were constantly battling. The over the counter stuff worked on the smaller ones but new ones constantly re-appeared. Finally, I dug the original, largest wart out of her finger with a pocket knife. It had about 4 or 5 "seeds" in it. Within days, all of the warts on her hand and arm had disappeared without benefit of any kind of medicine. The only explination I have is this: I had been told that warts are caused by a virus. Aparently the first wart was responsible for all of the others, and that by getting rid or the "infecting" wart it caused the others to leave. This was about 4 years ago and they have never returned.

-- Julie (julieamc@excite.com), August 17, 2000.

Sally,

Try piercing a vitamin E capsule and rubbing the oil on the warts a couple of times a day.

-- Mona (jascamp@ipa.net), August 17, 2000.

I know that on another list a gal swears by the inside of a bannana skin. You just tape it to the infected site, perhaps just weekends and when they are home from school. Would rather have a wart than have a bannana skin taped to me :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 17, 2000.

Try a little diluted grapefruit extract-be sure to dilute first or it will eat right through your skin, but it works great. Runs a bit expensive, but a 2 ounce bottle will last months...many uses.

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), August 17, 2000.

Try a little diluted grapefruitseed extract-be sure to dilute first or it will eat right through your skin, but it works great. Runs a bit expensive, but a 2 ounce bottle will last months...many uses.

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), August 17, 2000.

My homeopathic doctor told me to use seasalt. I mixed it with lotion and put on a bandaid. Took care of the one on my foot, but not on my finger. I think it is because it is harder to keep the bandaid on my finger.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), August 17, 2000.

Well, I used this on my yearling colt with fantastic success. He had ugly warts all over his muzzle and they were gone, yes GONE within a week. Take a little baking soda in the palm of your hand and mix it with castor oil to make a paste. Put it on the wart every day and it'll start to slough off. Honest! Now, if a kid can keep that on, THAT will be the miracle! Hope it works. debra in nm.

-- debra haden (dhaden@nmtr.unm.edu), August 17, 2000.

Please be very careful with little ones skin! I read somewhere that garlic would "take" the warts off! I followed the directions ~~ I crushed the garlic and placed it on the wart and put a bandage over it. With-in minutes he was crying. I took it off and it had already burned his knee. It's been 17 years and he doesn't let me forget!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), August 18, 2000.

I read in an herb book to use dandelion sap. Break off the flower and dap the white sap directly to the wart. My son tried it but he said it didn't work, but I don't know how often or consistent he was with it. It would probably help to cover it with a band-aid.

The book also mentioned the banana peel treatment.

If you are interested in taking care of your children's illness with herbs I highly recommend the book KIDS, HERBS AND HEALTH by Linda B. White and Sunny Mavor. One lady is a pediatrian and the other is a herbal specialist. Lots of good info for caring for little bodies.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), August 20, 2000.

I've been told that the sap from a milkweed works well.

-- charles (clb@watervalley.net), August 20, 2000.

Tea tree oil is supposed to work. Apply oil to wart and cover with a bandaid. I guess the bandaid part is fairly important as it seals out the air. Tea tree oil can be strong on sensitive skin. You could mix it with another oil like almond or olive. Good luck.

-- Amy (mstydale@aeroinc.net), August 21, 2000.

Homeopathic remedies for warts are:

Thuja occ. 30X

or

Thuja occ. skin cream

-- walt (longyear@shentel.net), August 21, 2000.

When my son was 5 I was told by his DR. that they would NATURALLY fall off on their own and they did. I had one removed by another dr. by putting some sort of acid. It burnt his skin a little around the wart and still did not get rid of all the wart. I left the rest alone and they are gone.Wish I had listened to the first one.

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), August 21, 2000.

I had a wart in late adolescence (ugh, every teen's nightmare!). I was determined to be rid of it, but had no cash,so I used Vit E oil, which helped, but what really did the trick was rubbing it daily with a pumice stone before applying the oil. It was gone very soon when I started that and I never had further problems.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), August 22, 2000.

I've had them just disappear ! But as we speak I have 2 for about 4 years . I have no clue why they come or go , wish I did .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 22, 2000.

Put duct tape or any similar tape over the wart. If tape comes off, replace it. It's hard to keep it on the hands, but it works swell on planters warts. I have used this and it works. A friend had planters burnt out, cut out, and the adhesions were worse than the warts. He used the tape and got rid of them. It may take a month or so, but it's worth it.

Russ

-- Russ Weiss (adtech@citynet.net), April 19, 2001.

from what i understand asprin works rather well too. i had a planters wart on my my hand and i used duct tape to hold the asprin to my wart. i wore it on weekends and i also wore it while i sleep. but you mustr be careful when you use duct tape because if youput it on too tight it will burn your skin and cut it. it takes a while to get rid of it tho'

-- Jill Meyer (dancingjill@yahoo.com), July 09, 2001.

There is another long thread concerning warts in the old answers down at the bottom of the page...banana skins, potatoes, pine sap, liquid nitrogen,white tape, many others.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), July 09, 2001.