Warts are a common skin problem caused by a certain kind of virus. There are different ways to treat this condition which include undergoing a procedure or applying some topical. The kind of treatment would depend on the severity and the size of the wart. The most common way of treating it is through cauterization. However, those who want to try alternative ways of healing use tea tree oil as this is usually recommended by natural medicine practitioners as well as aromatherapists.
Tea tree oil consists of different components which include Terpinene-4-ol and α-terpineol. Both have antiviral properties and can inhibit viral replication of viruses (Carson and Hammer, 2006 as cited by Deenadayalan et al., 2022), hence making them an appropriate medication for warts that are known to be caused by viruses.
This post presents not only how to use tea tree oil in wart treatment but presents case studies that report the effectiveness of tea tree oil in addressing wart issues. To understand the effect of tea tree oil on different populations, the case studies presented in this post are categorized into two. The first is for adult patients while the second category is for children.
I. Adult Wart Patients
Case 1: 21 days topical application of tea tree oil
In the case study of Deenadayalan et al.(2022), a 22-year-old female had an HPV infection with a cutaneous wart on her right index and middle fingers and had no warts in other parts of her body. Tea tree oil was diluted with coconut oil in a ratio of 1:5. The diluted tea tree oil was applied to the affected area using a cotton ball once a day daily. She was recommended to use tea tree oil for 21 days, and after the treatment period, the wart was completely removed and there was no recurrence of the wart within one month of follow-up. It was also reported that the patient did not experience pain or had scars during the treatment.
II. Children Wart Patients
Case 1: 12 days topical application of tea tree oil
A 7-year-old female wart patient was reported to have been successfully treated using tea tree oil in the study of Millar et al (2008). The child had a wart on her right middle finger. Tea tree oil was topically applied once daily and the treatment duration was 12 days.
Case 2: 10 days wart total removal and 20 days topical application of tea tree oil
Two wart patient cases have been presented in the 2016 study of Alsanad and Alkhamees. The study included a 14-year-old and a 9- year-old boy. Alsanad and Alkhamee reported in their paper that there were no side effects or allergic skin reactions when they used tea tree oil in treating warts.
Case 2.a: 14-year-old boy
A 14-year-old boy had a wart on his little finger on his right hand and had no other warts on his body. Tea tree oil was applied twice a day on the affected area daily. During the treatment, the warts were first washed before applying tea tree oil using cotton swabs. The intervention program took ten days. Changes were seen in the first three days as there was a wart size reduction. In seven days, the wart had disappeared.
Case 2.b: 9-year-old boy
A 9-year-old boy had a wart on the sole of his left foot. The wart had a round lesion with little black dots. When the pressure was applied to the affected area, the patient experienced pain and discomfort. To treat the wart, it’s first washed before the application of tea tree oil using a cotton swab. Tea tree oil was topically applied twice a day every day. However, it took 20 days before the wart was completely healed due to some challenges in medication compliance.
Risks in Using Tea Tree Oil in Wart Treatment
Some researches also show the risk of using tea tree oil in wart treatment.
A case of allergic contact dermatitis to tea tree oil was presented in the study of Ambrogio et. al (2022). A 28-year-old patient was applying lotion with tea tree oil on the wart on his right toe. After several days of using the lotion, he had dermatitis that spread to different parts of his body. It was said that the reason for the dermatitis was caused by the oxidized tea tree oil.
From this case report, we can learn that it is important to practice caution and ensure that the tea tree oil you are using is not oxidized. Oxidation can happen when the tea tree oil is not properly stored, and exposed to light. It can also be contaminated when the oil bottle is frequently opened. Other factors that can cause oxidation are humidity, heat, and oxygen. The researchers also warned that tea tree oil must not be applied in higher concentrations on damaged skin. It must be diluted to reduce risks and prevent allergies or skin reactions.
Treatment Program Details
Aside from the method of application presented in the different cases above, there are also recommendations you can find from different books. In the book Aromatherapy A-Z, the author suggests using neat or undiluted tea tree oil and applying it directly on the center of the wart then covering it with dry plaster. According to the author, tea tree oil should be applied daily until the wart has been removed. She also mentioned that treatment duration may take less than a week to a month.
Treatment program details guide us on how we can use tea tree oil appropriately when addressing wart concerns. However, by comparing different literature, it can be observed (as of the moment of writing) that the usual details presented are the method of application, treatment duration, and application frequency but when is the right time to apply the tea tree oil on the wart is not being mentioned. Future researchers may include this in their study.
Transparency Statement: I am not an expert Aromatherapist nor have tried using tea tree oil in treating a wart, but I am looking forward to seeing more case studies that prove the effectiveness of tea tree oil in the treatment of warts so I can learn more as well as update this post and present more cases here. I think presenting evidence-based research is important as these are reliable and helpful, especially for those who are studying aromatherapy and want to have a solid foundation. This can also help seasoned aromatherapists as they can see the effect of using tea tree oil in different case studies.
Care and heal together
References:
- B Deenadayalan, V Venugopal, K Maheshkumar, A Akila, C Yoga Priya. Effect of Topical Application of Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) on Hand Warts. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2022 Jan, Vol-16(1): KD01-KD02
- Millar, B. C., & Moore, J. E. (2008). Successful topical treatment of hand warts in a pediatric patient with tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia). Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 14(4), 225–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2008.05.003
- Alsanad SM, Alkhamees OA. Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)-An Efficient Treatment for Warts: Two Case Reports. Int Arch BioMed Clin Res. 2016;2(4):1- 2.DOI:10.21276/iabcr.2016.2.4.1
- Ambrogio, F.; Foti, C.; Cazzato, G.; Morato, E.; Mazzoccoli, S.; De Caro, A.P.; Cassano, N.; Vena, G.A.; Calogiuri, G.; Romita, P. Spreading Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Tea Tree Oil in an Over-the-Counter Product Applied on a Wart. Medicine 2022, 58, 561. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina58050561
- Patricia Davis. Aromatherapy and A-Z. 1988. C.W. Daniel Company Limited
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