How to Get Rid of Verrucas and Plantar Warts with Nail Varnish

You know it’s true:

There are many approaches that you can use to get rid of verrucas, with the mainstream wart treatment methods are verruca removal surgery, salicylic acid based topical cream, and homemade wart remover.

Among the home remedies for warts, there are testimonials by some people who say putting nail varnish on verrucas worked for their problem.
 
 
Many people are questioning the effectiveness of verruca treatment with nail varnish because it is not exactly scientific, as nail polish is not created as some sort of medicine for verrucas.

Having said this, have you heard of people using duct tape to successfully remove wart? Duct tape is apparently not created with some sort of medicine for plantar wart, either.

Despite nail polish is not really the first choice for people trying to remove verrucas naturally, let’s understand more:

 

Getting Rid of Verrucas with Duct Tape vs Nail Varnish

 
There is a “Suffocation Theory” that nail polish can be used to remove verrucas in the same manner as duct tape wart treatment.

The main point is not because the nail polish has some sort of virus killer organism or something, it is because the nail polish (and verruca gaffer tape) can suffocate the HPV virus by creating an air-tight seal around the growth, and block the warts from oxygen source and supply.

Without enough oxygen, the wart cannot keep growing and it can’t survive.

There is a similar theory suggesting the duct tape remedy was a light preventative approach instead of an oxygen thing, citing verrucas need ultraviolet light to grow, so cutting out the light means it cannot grow.

Theories aside – application wise, some people claim to prefer nail polish instead of duct tape, as nail varnish stays on much better and people only had to reapply every 3-5 days.

Check out slide show below.
 

 

How to Get Rid of Verrucas with Nail Varnish

 
Despite the fact that there are no guarantee this treatment will work, there are some people who successfully get rid of verrucas naturally with aid from nail varnish.

Step 1: Wash your feet thoroughly and then dry them completely.

Step 2: Take a bottle of nail varnish and use the attached brush to directly paint the varnish over the wart on foot.

Some people combine the remedies to enhance the overall effect and decrease the treatment time – first by applying Salicylic acid on verrucas, then paint the nail polish over the wart.

You will need to double check and be sure the wart is fully covered with the nail varnish.

Step 3: Nail varnish can be worn off, so after giving the polish time to dry, you may want to cover the treated area with a adhesive tape or a band-aid to protect the layer of varnish while also reduce the oxygen level further. Combining the remedies may enhance the overall effect and decrease the treatment time.

Alternatively, allow the nail varnish to dry completely before you put any socks or shoes on.
 
 
The nail varnish will begin to starve the warts of oxygen and should eventually cause verrucas to turn black (means the wart is dying), shrink, and fall off. Painting the verrucas with nail varnish will also make the wart less contagious until it disappears.

Let the nail varnish remain on your wart for a couple days, reapply surface of the affected area as needed.

If the wart is bigger in size, then continue the process for another week, till the wart comes off.
 

 
 

Verruca Treatment with Nail Varnish: Words of Caution

 
Remember that skin needs to “breathe” to stay healthy, so if this treatment doesn’t seem to be working for you, then discontinue and remove the polish from your skin.

As with any treatment especially on such homemade wart remover:

• Do not use home remedies like nail varnish on delicate areas like the genitals or on the face.
• Stop the home remedy promptly if you encounter discomfort or pain, and consult your doctor immediately.

 

Clear Nail Varnish on Verrucas vs Black Nail Varnish

 
There is much debate whether to use BLACK nail varnish or CLEAR nail varnish on verrucas.

There are users who claim this method works well with black / dark color nail varnish, while some suggest the varnish should be clear.

Frankly I don’t see how the nail varnish color would make the difference, as there should be no reason why will black nail varnish remove verrucas on one hand but clear nail varnish is not effective (or vice versa) – with the “Suffocation Theory” suggest nail varnish removes wart by terminating the oxygen supply.

Do you have any experience on both black nail varnish and clear nail varnish ? Which is more effective?

Leave a reply below and share with us your experience.
 

 

Does Nail Varnish Get Rid of Verrucas?

 
The results of putting nail varnish on verrucas may vary, with below are some comments from those with positive experience:

Feedback #1:

I’ve had a huge verruca on the ball of my foot for thirty years. Three weeks ago after removing the thick skin I painted over with nail varnish; three coats. I have had no pain or thickening of the skin since doing this. I have just scraped off the nail varnish using a disposable razor and the verruca seems to have gone.

Feedback #2:

What worked best for my plantar wart: Salicylic acid and clear finger nail polish and a scraping blade everyday. I removed any skin surrounding the wart with scraping blade (do not drawn blood) gently scrape the area do not dig.

I add the Salicylic acid to the area let that dry for about 5-10 mins. Then apply a clear coat of nail polish let that dry 5-10 min and I am done until the next day. Repeat process everyday until it is gone.
 

 
Feedback #3:

My 10 year old son has had a very large, painful verruca for the past 6 months and nothing was working. I bought some black nail varnish and we gently filed down the verruca a bit and then coated it with the varnish. We’ve reapplied the varnish every few days, filing it about once a week, and I’m delighted to report that the last remaining bit came off yesterday (all that’s left is a little crater of dry skin).

Feedback #4:

I tried that on my plantars wart. It worked. I would cover the wart with the polish and reapply each morning or when the polish seemed to be wearing off a little. I would have a very thick glob on it. About every 2 nights, I would grind it off in the shower and pick at the wart to get any black things out. Then I would sometimes put the 10% acid on it and cover that with nail polish. In about 6 weeks, the wart was gone. I had had that wart for about 5 years. I did do a lot of digging on it, but the finger nail polish seemed to give me the extra boost I needed to get rid of that thing!

 

Below are comments from those with less-promising results and/or with word of precautions. For some cases, this remedy does not work as fast and it could take from a few weeks to a month to see the results.

Feedback #1:

Covering warts with nail varnish didn’t work for me.

Feedback #2:

Putting nail polish on the wart and covering it with a band aid sort of worked, but it was too big and I had to keep going to a doctor who scraped it with a scalpel and then put salicylic acid on it.

Feedback #3:

I have had a wart on my hand for a long time. It feels like it is embedded deeply. I’ve used nail polish that seems to keep air away from the wart. After about 6 months I am still putting a drop on a very small spot, that still feels alive. It is much, much smaller.

Feedback #4:

This tip for removing planter warts has worked on both my sons. They get them on their feet. Use clear nail polish and seal it with duct tape. This method truly gets rid of them permanently, but it took up to a year. If you are not diligent about it, it can take longer. You have to suffocate the wart. It is a virus and very hard to kill, but with patience, you can do it at home. My son had it frozen and cut out 3 times. It came back. With the above process, it has not been back for over 3 years now.

 
 

Nail Varnish to Remove Verrucas In A Nutshell

 
Some people have success on wart removal with nail polish – an approach similar to duct tape method that claimed to suffocate the HPV wart virus by blocking the warts from oxygen supply, stopping the wart to keep growing and made the verrucas fail to survive.

Combining the remedies – first by applying Salicylic acid on verrucas, then paint the nail varnish over the wart, and cover the treated area with adhesive tape – may enhance the overall effect and decrease the treatment time.

Never use this technique on delicate areas like on the genitals or on the face.

>> FInd out more actionable tips on how to get rid of a verruca on foot.
 
 

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