Facial Warts - Types & How To Remove Them With Ayurvedic Remedies

Are you suffering from frequently occurring warts? Viral infections on skin require immediate treatment to prevent further complications.

Hence, the ancient science of Ayurveda recommends antiviral herbs and specialized Ayurvedic treatments that are safe and holistically deal with the condition. Keep reading to know the various types of warts that affect your face and the best natural remedies to remove them.

Our Ayurvedic Doctor Says

‘When the wart treatment is done by an expert practitioner, both kshar and agni karma yield good results.”

-Dr. Zeel Gandhi (B.A.M.S.), Chief Ayurvedic Doctor, Vedix

What Are Warts?

Warts are a type of cutaneous viral infection on the skin that causes raised, hard, skin-toned lesions. They can occur as a single skin growth or in clusters and can affect any part of the body most commonly the face, hands and soles of your feet. The infection from HPV virus [1] triggers excess cell growth, leading to these hard growths on your skin. Warts are highly contagious and affect both children and adults. Being a viral infection, warts are difficult to treat and may reoccur after complete recovery.

In Ayurvedic medicine, the pathogenesis of the skin condition ‘Charmakeela’ is similar to the description of warts as per modern medicine. According to this natural science, warts are caused by a combined vitiation of the Vata and Kapha doshas.

What Causes Facial Warts?

Facial warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV virus can live on the surface of your skin for a long period of time. However, warts occur when the virus enters through a cut and causes an infection. People with low immunity tend to be more prone to getting warts.

Below mentioned are the different ways you can come in contact with the virus:

• Directly touching a wart
• Through shared clothes, towels, pillowcases and other personal use items.
• Shaving

Types Of Warts On Face

1. Common Warts

Medically termed as verruca vulgaris, common warts are skin coloured, benign lesions with a raised, rough surface. These can occur in any part of the body including the face, however the hands and knees are most commonly affected. Common warts [2] can have blood clots within them that look like tiny black spots on the wart.

2. Filiform Warts

These have a long, slender or spiky, thread-like appearance. It is a facial wart that mainly affects the areas near the mouth and eyelids.

3. Flat Warts

Also known as verruca plana, flat warts gain the name from their smooth, flattened appearance. Flat warts commonly occur on the face, however they can also appear in other areas of the body. These usually spread over the face and tend to appear in large numbers.

Vedix Tip: Applying a paste of yashtimadhu and lemon juice on your warts can help kill the virus and prevent the infection from spreading.

How Do You Know If You Have A Wart On Your Face?

If you notice thick, flesh-toned, rough growth, which is either single or in clusters on your face, there is a chance you are dealing with warts. It is better to have your doctor examine such a growth for proper diagnosis and treatment. Warts differ from moles and skin tags by appearance and texture, so it is easy to differentiate between the three. Below is a comparison table for your reference:

Warts	Moles	Skin Tags
Skin-toned lesions on the skin	Dark pigmented growths	Colourless
Appears on the surface of your skin	Moles are planted deep into the skin	Skin tags are also deep
Rough surfaced	Soft to touch	Soft smooth surface
Contagious and can spread to other areas with touch	Not contagious	Not contagious

What Does The Beginning Of A Wart Look Like?

1. Warts start out as tiny, raised growths on the skin, sized about 1 to 10mm.

2. Warts can be thick, grainy or smooth in texture.

3. They can cause skin irritation and itching.

4. Warts can be single or clustered.

5. They can be colourless, pink, white or slightly dark toned.

6. May have dark pin dots which are visible, or clotted blood vessels within the wart.

7. They usually appear in areas where there is a cut or break in the skin.

How To Remove Warts On The Face Naturally?

A. Home Remedies For Facial Warts

1. Garlic Paste

Extracts of garlic (Allium sativum) have long been used to treat viral warts. Garlic extracts are even used in contemporary medicine ointments for wart removal.

How To Use

• Crush a few cloves of garlic and apply on the facial warts.
• You can also cover and seal the area with a cotton bandage.
• However, take care not to apply the garlic on healthy skin as it may cause irritation.
• Keep for an hour, and repeat twice daily till the warts are removed from the face.

2. Oregano & Sage Paste

Both oregano and sage are known for their antiviral properties and may help in the removal of warts on the face.

How To Use

• Prepare a paste by crushing both the herbs and add tea tree oil to it.
• Apply this on the warts and leave on for an hour before washing off.
• Use twice daily till the condition improves.

3. Minthostachys Verticillata Essential Oil

According to research, the essential oil extracted from the medicinal herb minthostachys verticillata [3] is an effective treatment for facial warts. It inhibits viral activity and prevents its proliferation.

How To Use

• M. verticillata essential oil can be added to a carrier oil and applied on the warts.
• However, it is advisable to do a patch test to check skin sensitivity for first time users.

4. Peppermint Oil

Pulegone, a natural antiviral compound present in peppermint oil makes it a good home remedy for warts on the face. Peppermint oil’s cooling nature also reduces skin irritation and itching that occurs with facial warts.

How To Use

• Mix peppermint oil with a carrier oil and apply directly on the facial warts.
• Leave it on for an hour and wash off.
• Repeat twice daily.

5. Sap Of Greater Celandine

The milky sap of this medicinal herb is used in homeopathy to treat warts on the skin. Though there are a few clinical trials to back its antiviral effects, as per patient reviews, the extract of greater celandine [4] completely removes warts upon external application.

How To Use

• The raw sap extracted from the plant can be directly applied on the warts after checking skin sensitivity.
• It is also available in homeopathic medicine.

6. Korean Red Ginseng

The Korean red ginseng [5] is prepared by heat processing fresh ginseng. According to research, the red ginseng displays superior antiviral abilities and can be used to treat warts on the face.

How To Use

• Red ginseng can either be consumed as per the dosage advised by your doctor or topically applied on the facial warts.
• To apply, mix red ginseng powder with lukewarm water and apply.
• Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes and wash off.

B. Ayurvedic Treatments For Warts

1. Turmeric & Basil

Turmeric and basil have been in use in Ayurvedic remedies since the ancient days to treat a variety of skin infections. According to recent studies, the compound curcumin [6] present in turmeric and apigenin and ursolic acid in basil have powerful antiviral properties that inhibit the spread of facial warts.

To use, grind raw turmeric and 10 to 15 basil leaves and make a paste. Apply this on the affected area to remove warts on the face naturally. Leave it on for 30 minutes and wash off.

2. Changeri Leaves

A paste of changeri leaves made by grinding the leaves and adding water or ghee to it should be applied on the warts in frequent intervals till they fall off.

3. Kshara Karma

Also known as caustic therapy, kshara is derived from the ashes of Ayurvedic herbs. Kshara jala [7] or the alkali solution is applied on the facial warts daily till the condition heals.

4. Lekhana Karma

Lekhana karma or the scrapping procedure is performed by Ayurvedic doctors to remove warts on the face. In this process, lime and copper sulphate mixture is applied on the facial wart and allowed to dry for 5 minutes. Then the stalk of a betel leaf is used to scrap the wart from the base.

5. Agni Karma

The process of agni karma or thermal cauterization involves locally infiltrating the facial wart at its base without causing damage to healthy skin. After the procedure, turmeric powder is applied to prevent infection. The area is also dressed for the next few days with Jatyadi taila.

6. Ayurvedic Internal Medicines

• Arogyavardhini
• Manjishthadi Kwatha
• Vatari Guggulu

“When the wart treatment is done by an expert practitioner, both kshar and agni karma yield good results. Modern use of chemicals to heal warts can be categorized under Kshar karma. Cauterizing warts is the modern day evolution of the traditional agni karma practice,” says Dr. Zeel Gandhi, Chief Ayurvedic Doctor at Vedix.

How Do Dermatologists Remove Warts On The Face?

1. Salicylic Acid Wart Removal

Your dermatologist may prescribe a salicylic acid treatment for your facial warts. Regular application exfoliates the lesion till the wart is completely gone. It may also initiate your immune system to aid the healing process. However, salicylic acid may cause irritation to sensitive skin.

2. Oral Zinc Sulphate

According to research, patients suffering from facial warts showed quick improvement with dietary zinc sulphate. Zinc greatly improves the immune system, thus aiding the body to fight the viral infection.

3. Cryotherapy

This procedure involves freezing the warts using extreme cold. The freezing substance used is liquid nitrogen which is directly applied on the warts. Cryotherapy [8] not only gets rid of existing warts but also prevents their spread to other parts of the body. However the process can cause mild pain and hyperpigmentation/ hypopigmentation in the affected areas.

4. Cantharidin

As a topical treatment, cantharidin solution can be applied on the warts. This creates a blister in the affected area thus blocking blood supply to the warts. After a week the dead lesions can be removed by your dermatologist.

5. Surgical Removal

Your dermatologist may opt to surgically remove the warts by excision or cautery. However, the procedure includes certain risk factors such as scarring and pain. Moreover, facial warts may recur even after surgical removal.

6. Laser Therapy

There are various types of laser therapies for treating warts on the face. A consultation with your dermatologist can give you better insight on which would be a good option for your skin. Some common types are mentioned below for your reference.

• Carbon Dioxide Laser
• Infrared Laser
• Erbium: Yttrium/ Aluminium/ Garnet Laser
• Pulsed Dye Laser

Tips For Preventing Warts On Your Face

• Avoid touching, scratching or shaving over areas already affected with warts to prevent spreading the infection.
• Avoid sharing towels, razors, pillowcases, make-up brushes and other personal use items.
• Do not touch warts on another person.

The Last Word

Warts may not be cancerous growths, but they are certainly bothersome. Warts on the face can also cause social embarrassment. Owing to years of research there are now plenty of home and Ayurvedic treatment options to remove warts from the face naturally.

The natural remedies also reduce the risk of after treatment complications. Further, adhering to an Ayurveda recommended lifestyle and following the preventive measures mentioned in the article can keep your skin safe from this viral infection.

Know Your Dosha Now