| How to Get Rid of Plantar Warts (Verrucas) Posted: 21 Feb 2017 04:00 PM PST Warts are small and thick benign growths on the skin that are caused by human papillomavirus or HPV. Plantar warts occur on the bottom of the foot, which makes them very uncomfortable to walk on — it feels like there is a stone in your shoe. They are often on the area of your feet that experiences the most pressure, which may drive the wart to grow flat but deeper under the skin. Most of the time plantar warts do not require the care or treatment of a physician. Following a few simple steps at home you can treat the warts you have and prevent more from occurring. EditTreating Plantar Warts at Home - Recognize the limits of home remedies. Although treatments at home are effective, they will usually take many months to be effective. If you want your warts to disappear faster, it's best to seek the care of your doctor. Permanent eradication may still take a long time, even when warts are treated by a doctor.
- Plantar warts will often disappear on their own and will not leave a scar; however, this can take several months to happen. The warts may be painful and it will be difficult to walk in the meantime.[1]
- Prepare your plantar wart before treatment. Soften the top of the wart by soaking your foot in warm water for several minutes. Then take the excess skin off the top with a pumice stone or nail file. Be sure that you don't use this stone or file for anything else, ever, as you can transfer the virus to other areas of the body.
- Removing the top layer of dead skin will help the product to go deeper into the wart.
- Try a salicylic acid treatment. There are a variety of topical (on the skin) over-the-counter products, such as Compound W, that treat plantar warts using salicylic acid. [2] Treatments come as liquid, gel or patches. Follow the directions on the package to successfully remove your plantar wart.
- Salicylic acid treatments are not painful but it can take several weeks for full results to appear.
- Try duct tape.[3] Duct tape should be cut to the size of the wart and placed over the top of it for up to six days. On the seventh day, remove the tape, soak the foot for five minutes in warm water to soften the dead skin on the top, and then use a pumice stone or nail file to buff off the top layers of the wart. Replace the duct tape for another six days.
- Do not use the pumice stone or nail file for any other purpose.
- This process can take several weeks to see results.
- It is not known why this process is thought to work, but many have good results using this method.
- Investigate home freezing compounds.[4] The freezing process works to close off the blood supply to the wart. There are over-the-counter medications you can use at home to freeze the wart, including Compound W Freeze Off and Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away. Follow the directions on the product you are using.
- Freezing at home will be uncomfortable and some will consider it painful. A doctor can use a local anesthetic to freeze the wart deeper.
- Determine if it's time for a physician's care. While plantar warts are often treated successfully at home, there are times when you may need treatment from your physician.[5] Visit your doctor if any of these complications occur:
- If the wart does not go away after treatment or if it appears to go away but returns quickly.
- If the wart grows larger quickly or appears to cluster. In this case it may be a Mosaic wart.
- If the wart starts bleeding or you have more pain after treatment.
- The area becomes red, swollen, or starts draining pus. This indicates that the area has become infected.
- If you are a diabetic, have peripheral vascular disease or coronary artery disease. If you suffer from these medical conditions it is important that you do not treat your plantar warts at home but get them treated from a podiatrist who will monitor your peripheral vascular supply to the feet. These conditions increase the risk of infection or tissue death because of poor blood supply.
EditHaving a Doctor Treat Your Plantar Warts - Talk with your doctor about stronger acid peels. Salicylic acids sold over-the-counter are peeling agents used to reduce the size of the wart. When home treatments are not effective, your physician can use stronger acid peels including bichloracetic acid or trichloroacetic acid.[6]
- These treatments require several return visits and you may be asked to use salicylic acid between doctor treatments.
- Discuss cryotherapy with your doctor.[7] Similar to using a freezing compound at home, cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart tissue. After the treatment, a blister forms, heals, and then falls off, taking with it all or part of the wart.
- This option is painful and not generally used on young children. Your physician may use a local anesthetic depending upon the size of the area being treated.
- Cryotherapy can require several sessions with your doctor for full effectiveness.
- Talk with you physician about laser treatments.[8] There are two laser procedures used for wart removal. In the the first, the laser cuts the growth away from the skin and in the other, the laser cauterizes the blood vessels that feed the wart, killing it.
- Laser surgery can be painful and may require a more longer time period for healing. It is done on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia.
- Discuss the use of immunotherapy with your doctor.[9] In this process, the doctor will use an intralesional injection of antigens into the wart. In other words, they inject toxins into the wart that stimulate your immune system to fight the virus.
- This treatment is reserved for warts that are stubborn or have been very resistant to other treatment modalities.
- Discuss surgical options if your wart has not responded to other types of treatments.[10] Podiatrists may choose to use a technique that involves cutting away the wart. The doctor uses electric needles to kill the tissue around the wart and entirely remove the wart. The process can be painful and often results in scar tissue; however, it is effective and often has successful long-term results.
- NEVER try to cut away a wart at home. This can lead to bleeding and infection when it isn't done with the proper tools and in a sterile environment.
EditIdentifying and Preventing Plantar Warts - Figure out if you are at risk of acquiring plantar warts. The wart is the result of exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV). There are over 120 different strains of HPV, only five to six of which are responsible for plantar warts.[11] The virus is caught through exposure to skin scales that are infected by the virus.[12]
 - Athletes who shower in common areas are at higher risk due to the increased number of people who use an area, usually without protection over the feet. For instance, swimmers, both indoor and outdoor during the summer months, are at increased risk if they use communal showers and tiled areas around the pool; however, this includes all individuals who use a gym area locker room, shower cubicles, or hot tub areas where people normally walk barefoot.
- Individuals who have cracked or peeling skin on the feet give the virus good entry into the body. Also, individuals whose feet remain moist or sweaty throughout the day will have an increased risk as the skin breaks down from overexposure to moisture increasing the risk the virus can gain entry to the body.
- Individuals who have had plantar warts once are at higher risk for having them again.[13] For instance, individuals who pick at a wart can spread the virus more easily to other parts of the body.
- Individuals who have a compromised immune system from illnesses such as mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus, cancer, cancer treatments used for individuals with psoriatic arthritis, or individuals with HIV or AIDS.[14]
- Look at the area you suspect is a plantar wart. It should be a small area of skin that is hard and flat with a rough surface and defined boundaries. Although a plantar wart may start out looking like a callus, warts are caused by an infection. There are two ways the plantar wart may infect your foot: either as a solitary wart or as a cluster, called mosaic plantar warts.[15]
- A solitary or single wart will increase in size and may eventually multiply into several solitary warts that are satellites of the original wart.
- Mosaic plantar warts are a cluster of warts without clear skin between them. They are not satellites of each other, but rather grow very closely together and appear to be one rather large wart. Mosaic warts are more difficult to treat than solitary warts.
- Assess secondary symptoms. Is the area painful? While plantar warts may look like calluses on the bottom of the feet, they are painful when standing and are painful when they are squeezed.[16]
- Look for black specks inside the thickened skin. These are often called wart "seeds" but are actually small clotted blood vessels inside the wart.[17]
- Watch for spreading. Warts are contagious between people and on your own body. Three small plantar warts on the bottom of your foot can quickly spread to 10 satellite warts, making the situation more difficult to treat.
- As with most medical conditions, the earlier you find a wart and start treatment the easier it is to experience successful results.
- Prevent another infection of plantar warts. After treatment and resolution you are more at risk for another infection with HPV, which causes plantar warts. To begin with, wear flip flops or other waterproof shoes in public areas, showers, locker rooms, saunas, pools and hot tubs. Also, keep your feet clean and dry. Change your socks daily and use a foot powder if your feet are sweaty.
- Use coconut oil on your feet in the evening before bed to prevent cracked and peeling skin. Use a pair of clean socks after applying a dime size amount of coconut oil to each foot.
- Avoid spreading your warts to others. Do not scratch or pick at a wart you already have. This can spread it to other parts of your body or to others.
- Do not touch other people's warts and do not wear socks or shoes that belong to other people.
- Wear flip flops or other waterproof shoes in the shower at home when you have warts to prevent the spread to other family members.
- Keep clothing, towels and socks off the floor of public locker room and pool areas.
- Change your socks daily and keep your feet clean and dry to both prevent recurrence and during treatment of plantar warts.
- Use flip flops or other types of waterproof shoes in public locker rooms, showers, and around the outside of pool areas, saunas, and hot tubs.
- Never try to cut out a plantar wart at home. It can result in bleeding and infection.
- You can't get warts from touching frogs or toads.[18]
- If you have diabetes, coronary artery disease, or peripheral vascular disease have your plantar warts treated by a podiatrist, who is a doctor that specializes in the feet.[19]
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| How to Do a Coffee Hair Treatment Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:00 AM PST Coffee can do more than just perk you up in the morning--research shows that coffee can stimulate hair growth[1] while increasing shine and adding depth to dark hair. But you won't see these effects just sipping on a cup of joe--follow these instructions to learn how coffee can make your hair glow. EditTreating Your Hair with a Coffee Rinse - Brew a strong pot of coffee. A regular cup of coffee uses 2 tablespoons (7-9 g, or 2 scoops of a coffee measurer) of grounds per cup, which uses about 6 oz (178 ml) of water.[2] To make the coffee stronger, add another 1-2 tablespoons of grounds. For a pot equivalent to 8 cups of coffee, use 48 oz (1.5 L) of water and 18-20 tablespoons (80g) of grounds.
- Note that the stronger the coffee, the darker the brew. Soaking your hair with coffee will darken your color, which can be great for brunettes or people with gray hair, as it can add depth and darken your hair color.[3]
- If you are blonde or have light red hair, or have dyed your hair a light color, you may may want to try a different method of treating your hair. Otherwise, you may end up with dingy or dirty looking hair.[4]
- If you don't have coffee, you can use a ground espresso instead.[5]
- Shampoo your hair as normal, rinsing well. Make sure you have completely rinsed out the shampoo. Use your hands to gently squeeze out any excess water from your hair--it doesn't need to dry completely, but it shouldn't be dripping wet.[6]
- Standing in the bathtub, pour cold coffee through your hair, starting at the roots. For a thorough treatment, use a bucket or large bowl to catch the coffee drippings as you pour it through your hair. Then pour the drippings back through your hair a second time.[7]
- If you want more control over the application, transfer the cooled coffee into a spray bottle and spray it into your hair.[8]
- If you are worried about the coffee staining your bathtub or shower floor, pour the coffee through your hair while leaning over a bucket, so it catches the drippings.
- Rinse any coffee out of your bathtub immediately to prevent staining.
- Gather your hair under a shower cap and let it sit for 20-60 minutes.[9] If you don't have an old shower cap, wrap your hair in an old towel you don't mind ruining. Remember that coffee will stain fabrics and some porous surfaces, so don't let your hair drip onto carpeting or furniture, and don't wear any nice or light-colored clothing.[10]
- If any coffee got on your face or ran down your neck, clean it off with soap and water so it doesn't stain your skin.[11]
- The longer you leave the coffee in, the darker your hair may become.
- Rinse your hair with warm water and allow your hair to air dry. Repeating this treatment will make your hair darker, shinier, and will increase hair growth while minimizing shedding.[12]
- If you want to make the most of the dying properties of coffee, rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar, as this will help the color to set.[13]
EditTreating Your Hair with Coffee Grounds - Brew a pot of coffee using about 8 tablespoons (or 30-35g) of coffee grounds. You only need about a handful of grounds, so this should give you enough to work with. Feel free to add more or less, depending on what you think you'll need.[14]
- Coffee grounds will darken your hair, so if you have light-colored hair, you may want to find another method to make your hair glow.[15]
- Place a coffee filter or cheesecloth over your drain. You don't want the coffee grounds to go down the drain--they can mess with your plumbing and belong in the trash. A filter will catch the grounds before they get into your pipes, and when you are finished with your treatment you can toss them in the trash.[16]
- Massage a handful of cooled coffee grounds into wet hair. Work the grounds into your hair, rubbing it into your scalp and scrunching it into your longer locks.[17] The rough grounds will exfoliate your scalp, which stimulates your hair follicles and can kick-start hair growth.[18]
- If you want to make the coffee scrub part of your regular grooming routine, dry out the grounds and then add them to your shampoo, conditioner, or hair oil.[19]
- Rinse your hair, making sure you wash out all the coffee grounds. The coffee grounds should have removed any build up from your hair, leaving it soft, shiny, and healthy. Dispose of the coffee grounds you caught in the drain by throwing the filter into the garbage or compost.
- With regular use, you may notice your hair is growing faster, too. The caffeine in coffee blocks a hormone that causes hair loss and allows your hair to remain in its growth cycle longer than normal.[20]
- Dry your hair with an old towel, and remember if your wet hair drips on your clothes the coffee may ruin them. Wear a towel around your shoulders or an old t-shirt until your hair is dry.
- Coffee can stain your towels and other equipment; keep this in mind when you set up your treatment area.
- Be sure the coffee is not at all hot. Your scalp is more sensitive to temperature than your hands, so if it feels hot to the touch it will feel hotter on your head.
- Do not use coffee treatment on very light or bleached hair. Coffee will stain porous or light hair.
EditThings You'll Need EditCoffee Rinse - 8 cups of strong coffee or espresso, cooled
- Spray bottle (optional)
- Shower cap (optional)
- Old towel
- Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)
EditCoffee Grounds - Used coffee grounds, cooled
- Coffee filter or cheesecloth
- Conditioner, Shampoo, or oil (optional)
- Old towel
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| How to Clean Up Your Desk Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:00 AM PST Many people get their most important work done at a desk. However, if your desk is messy or disorganized, it can be difficult to focus or to keep track of your important projects. Once you do a big cleaning of your desk, you should be able to keep it clean fairly easily. However, first you need to go through everything on your desk and find a new way to organize all of it. EditClearing Your Desk - Take everything off your desk. Remove absolutely everything and place it all in one large pile. When it's time to reorganize your desk, you'll go through this pile methodically. However, don't try to organize it now. First you need to create a clear space.[1]
- Remove everything from your desk, even if you think it will stay there. This includes pictures, plants, and your computer.
- Throw away trash. Something becomes trash as soon as you don't need it anymore. You may think that you need to save something, but be sure before you do. If you're not sure, you can place it in a bin or drawer for things that you're not sure if you'll need.[2]
- Shred any sensitive documents before disposing of them.
- Recycle paper, plastic, and anything else that is recyclable.
- People who are extremely organized with clean desks have a saying: "When in doubt, throw it out."
- Wipe down all surfaces. Even if you think the things at your desk are pretty clean, it doesn't hurt to give everything a once over. Clean your computer screen, dust all of the surfaces, dump out and wipe down desk drawers.[3]
- You can use compressed air to clean your keyboard or any other objects with difficult to reach areas.
- You can use a solution of water and white vinegar to clean many surfaces or purchase a cleaning agent that you like.
- Surfaces include the top of your desk, the inside of your drawers, the tops of shelves, and any screens.
EditCreating Organizational Systems - Use shelves. You may want to build shelves into the wall or buy them. You may want them right above your desk or on the other side of the room. This usually depends on where your desk is and what you use it for.[4]
- If your desk is in a cubicle at work, you may need to setup some small shelves above or next to your desk.
- If your desk is in a home office or bedroom, you may want your shelves away from your desk so that they're out of sight and don't pose a visual distraction.
- Think about what will go on the shelves before you install them. Make sure they're the right size for the books or tools you plan to put on them.
- Label drawers and shelves. By labeling shelves and drawers, you are telling yourself what goes in each place. This is key for staying organized. You can make your own labels with masking tape or stickers, or you can buy more decorative labels if you prefer.[5]
- Make sure every label is clear and specific. That way, no drawer will simply become a "junk drawer."
- If you like, you can use a color coding system instead of writing the words on each drawer.
- Be careful with labels. Don't generalize to much or you can end up having messy drawers full of miscellaneous items. This can also cause confusion when it's time to put something away.
- Make important things accessible. You know the things that you use at your desk the most often. Keep those things close by and easy to get to. For example, if you have a few vertical drawers under your desk, the top one should contain the things you'll reach for most frequently. Alternately, you can keep crucial items on shelves that are visible and easily within reach.[6]
- You can choose a few important things that get to sit on top of your desk. These can include current projects or tools you reference repeatedly, such as a ruler or calculator.
- Place a trashcan nearby. This is key for not having trash pile up around your desk. Your trashcan should be reachable without getting up from your desk. That way, there's no danger of leaving a piece of trash on your desk to clutter it up.[7]
EditPutting Your Desk Back Together - Sort through your pile. Now you have a clean desk and a large pile of things that came off of it. Begin going through the pile from the top down. Don't skip over anything.As you sort, remove junk and trash. Separate important things that will eventually go on shelves on in drawers.[8]
- Do whatever needs to be done with each object immediately, if you can. If a paper needs to be shredded, or a knick-knack needs to be dusted, do it now. Don't wait until later.
- If it will take more than two minutes to deal with an object (for example, if the paper shredder is in another building, or you'd need to go buy a duster) place the object on your "to do" list.
- Objects that will go back on the desk can go into a new pile. Objects that are trash go in the trash. Objects the you're not sure about can go in a third pile.
- Store objects you're unsure about. Take the pile of objects that aren't trash but that don't belong on your desk and put them in a bin or a drawer. Store that container in a basement, a closet, or somewhere else.
- After a month, six months, or a year, you can go through that container. If you haven't used something from it, throw it away. The chances that you'll ever use it are very slim.
- Replace objects on the desk. Take each object from the first pile and place it on your desk or on a shelf. Use the labels you've created or use another organizational system. Put each item back on the desk, one thing at a time.[9]
- Try to avoid having a lot of visual distraction at your desk. Limit the amount of decoration at your desk so that you can still focus.
- Books are best kept off your desk if possible. Have an accessible shelf where you can keep the books you need regularly.[10]
- Clean your desk regularly. The more frequently you clean your desk, the easier it will be each time. At the end of each day, look at your desk and tidy it up. Throw away any trash and file away any stray papers or pieces of a project.[11]
- By cleaning your desk off at the end of each workday, you ensure that you'll come into a clean and usable workplace the next day.
- Designate one day per week or month to really clean your desk thoroughly, depending on how quickly it gets messy or disorganized.
EditChoosing an Organizational System - Organize things in a way that works for you. Everyone has a different way of organizing their desk and their tools. Yours will depend on the kind of work you do at your desk. Make sure that whatever you do, it keeps the space usable and clear of distractions.[12]
- You might want to use different kinds of containers for different items.
- You might need file folders or a bulletin board to pin things to.
- You may have lots of tools that need to be hung on hooks.
- Keep only relevant tools nearby. If you mostly use your desk for office work, don't keep your craft supplies there. Choose a different place in your room or office to keep those things.
- If you have noticed that a certain item rarely or never gets used, don't keep it at your desk.
- If there's a tool or resource that you use a lot but have been keeping elsewhere, create a space for it at your desk.
- Try new things. If you've been having a hard time staying organized or keeping your desk clean, this could be a sign that you need to create a different organizational method. If you've kept everything in drawers, maybe shelves or hooks would be better for you. If you have a hard time focusing on your computer screen, maybe you need to clear everything else out of sight.
- Ask other people who work in your field how they organize their desks. They might have valuable insights for you!
- The goal of a clean desk is for it to be a productive and healthy place for you to work. Do what feels good for you. If you need decorations and inspirational images around you to feel good, that's okay. Just make sure that you can still focus.
- Make sure you only have five erasers maximum, one pot of writing pens and pencils and one pot of colouring pens and pencils.
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