Second treatment, different warts
The one on my palm has been probably infected by the main one on the thumb.
No updates in more than 10 years means I've been lucky and stayed wart-free until now. I've decided to start treating this wart that's become very problematic because it's on my right thumb and I'm right-handed. The disgusting and obnoxious thing is not at the tip of the finger, but still it was beginning to get bigger, rougher, noticeable, and my index finger kept touching it constantly, which means I was over conscious about it the whole time. It had to treat it right away along with the smaller one on the palm.
Warning: the following procedure should not be followed if you have diabetes or poor blood circulation. If that's your case, consult a professional. All problematic wart treatments hurt, pro or DIY. This text offers possible ways to make the procedure effective, if not less painful. The only case a treated wart won't hurt and will fall off on its own during the first week of treatment, is when the wart is very superficial. But most warts are deep, hence their recurrence.
I felt the typical sign of a growing wart maybe two years ago: a part of the finger getting rough, as if you had a splinter or a foreign body underneath the skin. As of April 2023, the wart had grown very deep within the skin with no apparent cauliflower-shaped tip. I had to scrub with a needle as much skin as possible so the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) could reach the center of the wart and kill it. By now you probably know that these difficult to treat warts are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus, that's why they're tougher to treat than calluses or skin tags. The virus needs to be killed either with acid or burnt, usually with frozen nitrogen. I tried this last option on my first wart with an over the counter solution and it did nothing to my wart. I wasn't gonna pay for it either, as dermatologists mostly offer the same treatment. That's why I chose the ancient and cheapest DIY option of ACV as a wart killer.
These are the ingredients I used this time, considering it was going to take time and I wanted this operation to be as cheap and efficient as possible, for the following reasons: a) I'm right handed so my left hand was going to be the working one. I had to make the procedure as easy as possible, b) I wanted to avoid the mistakes from my previous treatment, mainly the pain caused by being impatient and taking the crust off. This meant longer time of treatment and more resources, so the stuff used had to be cheap and basic but still safe, and c) An unexpected event happened in May, where I had to keep my hand covered and rush the treatment since I was going to a hospital to help a family member, and I did not want any infections happening in such environment.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar (make sure it comes with 5% of acetic acid). I used a very old Heinz bottle stored at the back of my fridge (this vinegar is so acidic that it doesn't really expire). You can use the cheapest brand to treat a wart. It's not necessary to buy an organic brand, with "the mother", since you only want the acetic acid component of it. But standard ACV tends to smell stronger. Some people believe they should put on their skin what they would eat. If that's your case, you can buy well known organic brands, use a bit for the wart and the rest for nice salad dressings.
2. Cotton, the cheapest brand from the drugstore. You can buy cotton balls or those cotton pads for make up if you think it makes the job easier. It doesn't make a difference, but the cheapest kind means I can grab a piece as large as I require.
3. Micropore tape so you don't waste so many band-aids (or plasters). Also Micropore allows the skin to "breathe" and not get that wrinkled appearance after being in humidity for long while having the finger covered for a long period with the band-aid sealing material.
4. Band-aids. The long, classic shaped and the circled ones for the wart on the palm. These were used mainly to protect the wart when I had to go out. You need to keep the warts protected during the course of the treatment, but still allow them to heal during day-time. BUT band-aids are totally optional. I prefer using Micropore and you can get a skin-colored one if keeping the treatment zone hidden is something that worries you.
5. A thin, old cotton bandage. This is to keep everything in place during night-time, when you leave the ACV to do its job while you sleep. The cotton protects your healthy skin and is large enough to keep two treatment zones covered. The bandage will be put over the cotton balls and Micropore.
6. A thin and large (cut as needed) self-adhesive bandage. This is optional and only makes things easier for my left hand, so I don't have to use clips. I used this to cover the thumb.
7. New needles. Don't disinfect old needles and re-use them. Instead buy a box of syringes, the type where you can unscrew the needle. Remember that once used, you need to discard the needle. You're treating a very contagious virus with it, so don't re-use. Don't be cheap with this.
8. Vaseline. You need to protect the circumference around the wart so it doesn't get burned by the acid.
9. Q-tips. This is to spread carefully the Vaseline around the wart and not over it. Don't use your pinky finger, it can get infected.
10. A small bottle drop-dispenser for the ACV. You can get this at a drugstore. This is optional but it makes the procedures easier. Otherwise you'll need a cup to soak the cotton balls in the vinegar. You need to make the cotton balls as small as possible, so that it covers ONLY the wart. If you put a bigger size, you'll be soaking the surrounding area and it will HURT.
11. Any disinfectant that doesn't sting. This is optional but I find it's quicker than washing your hands with soap before every procedure.
12. Acetaminophen 500 mg or an analgesic prescribed by a doctor because it will hurt.
I DON'T recommend using duct tape. Even doctors are admitting it works for some people, but I just find it weird and slow.
If the wart covers your finger print, beware that the wart and the treatment will modify the print. So take precautions with your biometrics because you won't be able to use the print while on treatment. Also notice that I've covered my print because such a personal thing can't be on display.
Beginning the treatment
Day 1
At around 3 PM (because day light works better for me than artificial light), I scraped the skin over the wart with a new needle, then applied Vaseline around the wart and a small cotton ball soaked in ACV on top of the wart. I covered the soaked cotton ball with a larger piece of cotton, then wrapped the whole thing with Micropore tape. I did the same on the smaller wart on the palm, but because this is a difficult location to cover, I used the large cotton bandage to cover the whole hand so the dressings were kept on place. Notice how the wart has the same color of the skin and it can easily pass for a callus. You'll know it's not a callus when the ACV turns it into purple within 24 hours.
Photo 1: notice the tiny one on the palm.
What you can expect on the first day of treatment: If you scraped enough to reach the wart, the ACV will penetrate it during the course of the night. I recommend diluting the ACV with clean, drinking water so the pain doesn't shock you. Also you wanna take the Acetaminophen tablet before going to bed. Expect the lesion to throb and wake you up. If you wanna avoid this as much as possible, don't scrape the top of the wart at all, but it will take longer for the acid to reach it, since it has many layers of rough skin to peel off. If you have an obvious wart with its cauliflower tip, don't scrap it. The whole point of scraping is to reach a deep wart or accelerate the process. It depends on how much you tolerate pain, but if it's too much for you, take everything off and let the lesion rest. You can apply Vaseline or better yet, a fresh piece of aloe vera on top of it to lessen the pain.
Day 2
By the morning, the wart begins to darken. The dark dots people usually see are blood capillaries that the virus took over, so the acid "dried" them. It's normal. In fact they indicate the exact location of the virus. I suggest you take day 2 to rest. During day time, let the lesion free or cover it with Micropore. It's already had a round with the acid, but the virus is still there and you can be sure it's still contagious.
Uncovering the wart. Notice how I had to wrap my whole hand with a bandage so the dressings stayed in place:
Fresh purple wart heads: the acid has penetrated them. It hurt like hell. Notice how there are remains of vaseline around the wart.
April 21
Day 10
Depending on your pain level, repeat the procedure on the 3rd day (at night time, actually), but don't file or scrap the wart at this point. As long as it doesn't form a crust, the acid still has an easy entry.
I had to take a 2-day break because my main wart was so deep and the throbbing insane. Take your time.
April 29
Take a break and leave the crust alone, but cover it. I zoomed with my phone camera. You can see the purple fading because of the crust.
Day 12
If you've kept going every day and your wart is superficial, it should be about to fall off on its own. Wait for it to happen. If you accelerate the process and remove the crust yourself, there may be a residue of the virus. So if you're going to remove a crust, you'll need to keep applying ACV until the wart is gone. You'll notice because it leaves a crater where new, healthy skin will form (see my first post). I removed the crust to accelerate the process. The result was this, crust-less wart. I took the needle and picked the wart with it, very slowly. To my surprise, it didn't hurt. The pain begins going away around the 7th day. The wart is being killed, but the lesion may still be infectious. Be careful and don't touch it directly.
Then I re-applied (don't forget the vaseline!), adding salicylic acid to the ACV (not strictly necessary) and covered like this before the big bandage:
Third week
If you've had to take a break and/or your wart is obstinate, repeat the procedure as much as you can tolerate. This can take up to a month or more depending on how consistent you are and how bad it stings. Take breaks, but don't give up easily. When the location of the wart is difficult, such as the thumb, you'll probably need to take a shortcut and treat it daily. But beware that the demonic wart will sting and throb and hurt. I was lucky. By the third week, it looked like this, and it had become almost painless, just a little sore. Check out the tender skin:
I kept doing the same procedure. Don't let tender skin fool you. The wart is STILL there.
In a month, I was wart-free. I forgot to take a photo of the wart on the palm, but this went away faster. You'll notice because there's no pain, no itch and the skin is now even.
By this date I wasn't covering the thumb, as the wound had completely healed. I was able to go to the hospital without a bandage. To me, this treatment is worth it. One month of consistency and the wart goes away. I've seen horror stories of frozen warts and their blisters. No thanks. There's no painless treatment for a wart treatment, so I would rather burn it with ACV.
Update from June 2026:
There's not a single trace of the wart after 3 years, except for the skin that's slightly rough because of the scarring. You can touch it, and you can hardly see it. I don't think the virus is still there, because it doesn't itch, it's not grown, and I've had some illnesses where my inmune system has been on holidays, and the virus hasn't shown up. I think I did a good job and hope I don't have to update this blog any time soon!
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