Originally published on June 18, 2013

Warts are considered non-cancerous skin growths - different strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) cause warts to form on different areas of the body. Warts that form on the fingers are typically called "common" warts, while those that appear on the soles of the feet are called plantar warts.

About 70 precent of warts dissipate on their own within two years without any treatment, though in some cases, more warts can appear as the initial wart shrinks. Warts can spread by direct contact with scratches or cuts in the skin.

Corns are small collections of thickened skin, typically along the bottoms or sides of the feet - they are typically caused by excessive friction within footwear, usually due to aggressive athletic activity or footwear that doesn't fit properly.

To treat common warts, plantar warts, and corns without acid, cryotherapy, or excision, all you need are fresh garlic cloves, a knife, and athletic tape.

Start by thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water, and if you have any breaks in your skin, be sure to bandage them up to avoid direct contact with the wart.

Peel one clove of garlic, then cut it in half.

Use the cut side of one portion of garlic to gently rub the wart - the goal is to coat the entire wart with natural garlic juices. Do this for a minute or two, then use athletic tape to affix the remaining fresh garlic half against the wart - be sure to do this with the cut side of the garlic against the wart. You can cut and trim the garlic to cover the wart, but be sure that the portion of garlic that will remain in contact with the wart is a little larger than the wart itself to ensure contact if the garlic shifts.

You can apply this natural garlic treatment to warts and corns before going to bed, then remove it during the day to allow the area to breathe, and continue to reapply using fresh garlic each night.

For a small wart or corn, this garlic treatment will often lead to a complete cure within a week. For larger warts, you may need to continue with garlic application for a few weeks.

I just had a client use this garlic remedy for a large wart on his second toe. Within a few days, his wart shrunk by about half - as his wart shrivelled away, he could see blackening of the roots of the wart. Within a month of daily treatment, his toe was perfectly normal.

Garlic has long been known to have anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties. Koreans eat massive quantities of garlic through many of their staple dishes, kim chi being the most notable one, and epidemiologists in Korea have long believed that this partly explains their better-than-average record of immunity against various air-borne diseases.

A study in the International Journal of Dermatology (2005;44:612–5) confirms that garlic is a useful treatment for warts and corns.

If you give this remedy a try or know of another reliable natural treatment for warts and corns, please consider sharing via the comments section below. Thank you.

Please Note: Before trying this or any other natural remedy, it's always prudent to run things by your personal physician.