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Page 89
| Marigold or tea tree cream can be used directly in the vagina instead or use tea tree pessaries, available from health stores. |
| Warts |
| Warts are benign lumps in the skin caused by a virus which makes the cells multiply abnormally quickly. Common warts are usually found on the hands, knees, and face and are mildly contagious, spreading as the virus comes into contact with damaged skin or when flakes from the wart touch nearby moist skin areas. Although they can be unsightly and a nuisance, these sorts of warts are usually quite harmless and most will disappear of their own accordeventually. Like many common viruses, the one causing warts can remain dormant, reappearing from time to time. Warts are most common in younger people. |
| There is, of course, a wealth of folkloric tradition surrounding wartsthey could be charmed, ''sold," tied off with horse's hair, or rubbed with bacon fat which was then nailed to a door post and, as it rotted, it was believed the wart would disappear. A more practical herbal alternative is to put 1 drop of tea tree oil onto the wart night and morning. You can also squeeze 1 to 2 drops of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) sap or the bright yellow sap of greater celandine (Chelidonium major) directly onto the wart each day if you have access to these fresh plants. |
| Plantar warts occur on the soles of the feet. Because they are always being walked on, the small growths can become painful and are often covered by thickened areas of skin or calluses. The constant pressure also makes these warts grow inward rather than erupting outward as with common warts. Persistent cases usually need treatment from a chiropodist. For mild cases, tea tree cream used two to three times a day can be helpful. |
| Venereal or genital warts are found around the genitals and anus. They will usually disappear of their own accord, but because of the contagious nature of viruses they can be transmitted during sexual intercourse. These warts need professional treatment. Professional help is also needed for warts that erupt at the site of moles or that start to bleed or change color. |
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