The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mc (Ontario) on 03/16/2018
★★★★★
I have has a quarter-diameter keratosis on my temple; it's been ther for a year.
My Derma appt is in April, but I couldn't wait because it is so obvious. I tried tea tree oil. Peroxide. Nothing.
I have tried ACV now going on 1 week and the spot is shrinking and fading. Stay tuned.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Alan (Bedfordshire) on 01/08/2018
★★★★★
Acv worked a treat on 'senile wart'.
I had one of these on my temple, about a centimetre in diameter. Applied Apple Cider Vinegar on cotton wool then stuck it on with a plaster, felt a slight burning at times so assumed it was doing something. After 7 days I put after sun lotion on it which softened it then it peeled off like magic. I was sceptical at first but happy and surprised with the results.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Judy (Dallas) on 10/31/2015
★★★★★
I hope people find this helpful. I definitely have Seborrheic Keratosis (SK). My dermatologist freeze them when I go to her, but that gets to be expensive.
I have tried various other treatments including Compound W Freeze Away (with some success), Glycolic Acid (with little success) and H202 35% (little success, but I probably dilute it took much).
Thanks to this forum on Earth Clinic, I tried ACV to see if it has any effect on the SKs. Some have been stubborn but many have actually have gone away. The one's that are gone became irritated, developed small scabs, and eventually were gone.
I cut cotton pads to the size of the SK. Soak it in ACV and then use a bandaid to secure over-night. The largest one took about 7-10 days to remove completely.
It may not work for everyone and on every SK but I am encouraged right now.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Susan (Virginia) on 05/27/2017
★★★★★
I had a seborrheic keratosis lesion on my left arm that was being irritated by my bra strap. I'd had others on my back removed by my old doctor using dry ice so I knew what it was. (That hurts! ) I asked a new health care professional about removing this one. She was going to refer me to a dermatologist, but said they probably wouldn't remove it, since "they didn't do that anymore." I had some time before the appointment with the dermatologist, so I tried the ACV method. I soaked a small piece of a cotton ball in the ACV, put it on the lesion and covered it with a band aid. It worked within two weeks! No pain, no scar. I cancelled my appointment.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jennifer (Northern Ireland) on 06/12/2016
★★★★★
My seborrhoeic keratosis appeared over a few weeks, then over 3 weeks became more puffy and was changing colour daily. It became black and was really ugly! It was on the side of my head and could be seen when I wore my hair up. I was really worried and horrified! I paid £150 for a private consultant to look at it. She said that for a further £450 she could cut it off. It would however scar and hair may not grow. Since she said it wasn't sinister I decided to wait for my nhs appointment. Even though I drink apple cider vinegar in boiling water every morning, I was sceptical and scared! Anyway I did it for an hour the first night to check for irritations then followed it with 3 overnight soaks. I am absolutely amazed and delighted!!! It is slightly red and a tiny bit is still there. I am going to do another night. I only used apple cider vinegar. It was enough. I cannot believe it!!! Thank you so much! ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘😊😊😊
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Angie (Northeast Georgia, Usa) on 08/14/2015
★★★★★
Had what I thought was a mole growing on my areola a couple of years ago, but then it started getting "crusty"...so I went to dermatologist and was told that it was a seborrheic keratosis, and not to worry about it......so I started researching. I wasn't going to have a third nipple, no sirree.
I made up my own concoction. It had apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, lavender oil, oregano oil, geranium oil, olive oil, and witch hazel, which just helps blend the oils with the vinegar (you still need to shake the bottle before using) *--special note--*if you are going to mix some up, just do your own research on diluting essential oils)--Since it was in that special area, I would just put some on a cotton ball, at the very least, twice a day, and sometimes up to four times a day, and my bra would keep it in place. I'd just leave it there, until the next application. I did that faithfully for three months (give or take a week), and it is gone, gone, gone...it has been gone for over a year, and hasn't showed any signs of coming back yet. I don't know if I was misdiagnosed or not, but I did a lot of research on the subject, and it certainly looked like one as well.
I hope this helps anyone who is looking for a natural way to get rid of these barnacles. You'll have to be patient and faithful, though...it's not an overnight cure.
If you have just one or just a few on your back, I would say use the cotton ball method with some skin tape, or put it on a band-aid--and do it at bedtime, so it soaks in throughout the night. I don't know that I have any super ideas for trying to get rid of big numbers of them at one time that is going to be cost-friendly, as the only thing that comes to mind is soaking a towel in the mixture and sleeping on it (with a plastic sheet to protect mattress).
P.S. It does get a little itchy (nothing you can't handle, though), but that's how you know it's working!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Bunny12 (Texas) on 07/29/2017
★★★★★
This method works. I didn't even use the organic kind because I had the regular apple cider vinegar and wanted to try it right away. Mine was gone before I had a chance to buy the organic apple cider vinegar. I'm hoping gone forever, but we will see.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Anne (Annapolis) on 03/02/2017
ACV should be raw when ingested in order to get the full benefit of it. If you add it to boiling water, it will destroy all the good bacteria (the "mother") that aids your gut flora. My daughter had acne until she started to drink raw ACV and now it's gone and her skin glows!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Teriinttown (Tacoma, Wa) on 07/20/2016
I had a mess of these in the small of my back that had been there a long time, and the population continued to grow. I became aware of the extent of the problem after pictures from a recent trip to Hawaii.
I tried many of these remedies and found these things simply would not go away. It is difficult to treat the small of your own back, too, so perhaps my application was not sufficient. The more I treated them, the more my back itched, but they still wouldn't go away. I finally got rid of all of them at once with a deep chemical peel. Amazingly, the peel didn't hurt very much, and only on the few good patches of skin left.
I did tons of research on these things and here is why I believe they often appear on the back, hairlines, bra lines and places like that. These things are dead tissue: skin cells mixed with oils that are not sufficiently exfoliated, and that is why they appeared so prolifically, and only, in the small of my back where it is impossible to scrub with any real pressure.
I believe a body salt scrub at an Asian spa every couple of months will prevent these going forward. (Once the skin has completely healed from the chem peel.) Perhaps that is why many Asian women engage in this ritual regularly and we probably all should.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by anon (usa) on 01/04/2024
★★★★★
I am caucasian, 60, sun exposure, with mixed brown age spots, raised "barnacle" skin, seborric keratosis, suddenly rough skin, chest, leg, back, breast ( under) I put full strength organic ( mother in) ACV in 3 days, the freckles are already light. The barnacles are flaking. I used a salt scrub, prior once. totally shocked. have not done face..but did use iodine before, with good results, tightening pores.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Adrianne (Az) on 07/16/2017
To increase your immune system, take a teaspoon of concentrated black elderberry syrup daily and take supplements of vitamin D-3 daily up to 5,000IU. Stay away from sugar, processed foods, all milk products, GMO corn and soy, and commercially grown meat products including sausages. Stick with organic grass fed beef and organic chicken and eggs. Eliminate pork in all its forms. Your immune system should blossom and you will feel extremely better. I'm not a doctor, but I researched nutrition over the past 10 years and developed this diet for my family. I'm now 74 and feeling younger than I felt at 45. Ask your health care professional before changing your diet, especially if you are taking any prescription medicines or if you are pregnant.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Egan (Va) on 01/26/2015
★★★★★
Seborrheic Keratosis: I've been using ACV daily for about 3 weeks now - about 4 times a day. The acid dries up the bump and now it's starting to harden to where I can pick off the scab that's forming. I should be more patient and just keep applying ACV via a q-tip, rather than trying to peel it off.
Delighted this works, after trying lemon, coconut oil, yogurt, witch hazel and one expensive cream that I returned to Amazon.
Tips:
By using a q-tip swab, make sure the end is soaked with ACV then apply it just to the bump, otherwise, the skin that is not affected will dry out too. Add ratio of 1:1 water and be careful not to get near eyes. I would not use a band-aid unless you can isolate the ACV just to the affected area b/c the acid sensitizes other parts of your skin at the same time.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Teri (Tacoma, Wa, Usa) on 08/04/2011
★★★★★
I have used Apple Cider Vinegar with great success. I simply apply it with a Q-tip twice a day and let it dry. Some peel off in two days, some take longer. It leaves pink skin behind that heals pretty quickly. Good luck
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Juniper (West Midlands England) on 06/17/2015
★★★☆☆
I have had these things since I was 40. I'm getting more and more of them as I age. I never sunbathe and have them in places the sun would never reach. Coincidentally my husband has them too which made me ask my doctor if they were contagious but he assured me they are not. My mum never had the, nor did my dad. I've tried oils, creams and ACV - the ACV worked best but didn't get rid of them.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mark (Chicago) on 04/16/2014
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar got rid of my seborrheic keratosis. I took a cotton ball and dipped it in ACV then taped it to my arm for 2 hours about 5 times per week. Within 4 weeks it was half the size it used to be. Within 8 weeks it was completely gone. It's been over 3 months and it's still completely gone!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Melanie (Louisville, Ky) on 01/11/2013
★★★★★
Seborrheic Keratosis natural cure: I got rid of this pea sized scailey spot on my face by using a cotton swab dipped in apple cider vinegar and dabbing it on the spot for only a couple of minutes each time. I have done this only 3 times (3 nights in a row) and it's nearly gone! In the morning I use antibiotic cream to calm the redness and this ugly thing is going away. I had it frozen off several years ago but it came back. Try the apple cider vinegar, I promise you it will work. It stings only slightly but keep at it, it will scab over and shrink away in less than a week!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Dr K (Scotland ) on 07/22/2021
★★★☆☆
I have been reading about this as a treatment for seborrheic keratosis and wanted to just add a reminder that vinegar is an acid that can cause skin damage.
For example, there are numerous case reports of skin burns from apple cider vinegar.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26155328/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22980269/
Lots of people seem to have success with this method which is great. The benefits of using vinegar should be weighed against the risks of using it too. I may try it myself one day - but with great caution. Occlusion (use of bandages over the area) may increase the risk of burns. Using acid near the eyes is especially dangerous. potentially catastrophic.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Richard (Virginia, USA) on 06/25/2021
I believe that this keratosis is a fungal overgrowth. ACV kills it good!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Deirdre (Connecticut) on 07/23/2021
I agree, ACV can burn the skin so you must use it cautiously and not for very long.
I used it on a pimple on my chin that sprung during a national karate competition something like 15 years ago. I had brought ACV with me to drink for energy before my big fights (haha) and decided to use it to get rid of my pimple fast the night before. I put it on a cotton ball and held it on the spot for a few minutes twice in about 12 hours as I recall.
Yep, the acv caused a much bigger trauma to the area than a small pimple and I looked like I had been either cut, burned, or punched hard in the chin (karate competition, so a possibility). Then it formed a big scab and took forever to heal. Never did it again! 😂
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Adrienne (Idaho) on 07/30/2017
My father, half Irish, said the Irish have a "gift of gab" (likely an Irish expression). You've certainly got that! Ha! Ha! Thanks for relating your experience. I'm going to try it on my Danish husband who has facial barnacles. :-)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ray (Uk) on 06/24/2017
Wow, that's exactly what I have on my head, both my temples have about 3 or 4 of these SK, at first they were very small, didnt bother me, but over a few years they started to get bigger and are now slightly darker, more like brown to black. They are fairly flat with a very slight rise in them and have a textured feel to them. I went to my gp but the NHS wont remove these as its cosmetic they say. I rang a few private dermotologists who want around £500 to remove these SK, with either cryosurgery or using Curette. I dont have that kind of money so im gonna try this ACV treatment. Today I bought Aspall organic Cyder Vinegar, using a qtip I applied it undiluted onto the SK, I did this about 3 times today, so will see how it goes in days to come, will keep you guys posted...
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Linda (Oh) on 07/31/2014
This does work, however, it stings and itches a lot! Worth it though! I'm glad to read only 2 hours at a time, I was letting it set for 12 hours!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Erin (Tampa, Fl Usa) on 06/28/2011
★★★★☆
I read on a message board that some other people had great success using ACV on their lesions. They used full strength ACV soaked into a cotton ball and held onto the lesions with bandaids, and said that their lesions fell off in two days. I tried it myself using ACV with the mother still in it. My lesions flattened out considerably, and both scabbed and partially fell off in three days, but the entire lesion didn't fall off on either site. A second treatment might finish the job. One thing to be aware of if you try this is that you have to be highly tolerant of the smell of vinegar, because it will not dissipate when it's held onto your skin in this way.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ian (Victoria) on 08/27/2024
I've just started using cotton balls at the moment, on the scalp and sides of face. The idea came to me while praying. So now have come on this Web site to check out if it is recognised. Nice to read its doing a good job for you folk.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Suzanne (Uk) on 04/08/2018
Hi there, I'm in the first stages of using apple cider vinegar on a large brown wart on my back and as I went to scratch it I've noticed that it seems to be peeling at the top of it! I got scared and put the plaster back on tbh, fingers x
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Emily (Los Angeles) on 07/31/2016
Did you use a cotton ball soaked in apple cider vinegar over the area?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Glenys (Tas) on 08/24/2016
I find ACV (with 'The Mother') works very well with thick crusty ones but not well with paler, less crusty growths. Not nice are they?
