Remove a Wart With Duct Tape

Warts are unsightly, unpleasant, and, unfortunately, all-too-common. One of the best-known home remedies for treating warts (especially plantar warts) is everyday grey duct tape. In a practice called duct tape occlusion therapy (DTOT), the wart sufferer covers his or her wart for an extended period of time with duct tape, then debride the wart. This process is repeated until the wart is gone. DTOT gained scientific credibility as a legitimate method of treatment after a study by Focht et al found it to be more effective than freezing the warts.[1] However, this study has since been criticized.[2][3] Regardless, many anecdotal sources swear by DTOT.

Steps

  1. Clean the skin around the wart. This remedy requires you to cover the skin surrounding the wart for about a week at a time. Before proceeding, it's smart to clean the wart and the surrounding area to ensure that dirt or other detritus which can cause blemishes and pimples isn't trapped against the skin.
  2. Let the skin dry completely. Just as you shouldn't let any dirt get trapped between your skin and the duct tape, so shouldn't you let any moisture. Trapping moisture against your skin can irritate it or, in rare cases, lead to fungal infection. However, what's more likely is that moisture under the duct tape will simply cause the adhesive to weaken and the tape to fall off. You want your tape to grip your skin tightly, so be sure to dry your skin after washing.
  3. Cover the wart with duct tape. Cut a small square of ordinary grey duct tape - large enough to cover your wart completely, but not any larger. Carefully lay this duct tape over your wart. Press the tape onto your skin to ensure good adhesion.
    • Use regular grey duct tape. Clear duct tape has been found to be not as effective as the standard grey variety. In one study, for instance clear duct tape was not significantly more effective than a moleskin bandage.[4] The speculation is that clear duct tape uses a different type of adhesive than grey duct tape and the difference accounts for the lack of effectiveness.
  4. Leave the tape on for six days. DTOT takes time to work - it may, in some cases, take up to two months. For the first six days, keep the duct tape in place. If your duct tape falls off, replace it as soon as you can.
    • The exact mechanism by which DTOT eliminates warts is unknown. One popular hypothesis is that the rubber-based adhesive in grey duct tape irritates your skin, provoking a local immune response. Your immune system then unwittingly attacks the human papilloma virus (HPV) which causes the cell multiplication (or wart).
  5. Remove the duct tape on the evening of the sixth day. After six full days of wearing your duct tape patch, remove it to check on your wart. If, at this point (or during any future check-up), your wart appears irritated or worse than it was before, stop using duct tape and make an appointment to see your doctor or dermatologist.
  6. Soak your wart in warm water for one minute. Use a soft cloth to soak your wart with warm water, or immerse the affected area in a bowl, wash basin, or bathtub. Warm water softens your skin (and the wart) in preparation for the next step, in which you will debride it.
  7. Lightly scrape the wart with an emery board, pumice stone, or other gentle abrasive. By scraping the wart with a mild abrasive, you essentially "file" the dead wart tissue away, a process called "debriding" (removing dead material). Soaking your skin in warm water beforehand makes this process easier. If, at any point, you begin to feel pain, stop.
    • When you're done, soak your emery board, pumice stone, or other tool in a solution of bleach and water. Wart tissue that remains on your abrasive contains HPV and spread, creating new warts. It is, therefore, very important to sterilize your tools after every use.
  8. Leave the wart exposed the night of the sixth day, then re-apply duct tape in the morning. Give your skin a chance to dry out and rest on the sixth night. Take care, however, not to touch, rub, or scratch your wart, as warts can be spread through touch.[5] In the morning, apply another piece of duct tape.
    • On the sixth night, examine your wart. Make note of any progress you've made. - Does your wart appear smaller? Is it less raised than before?
  9. Repeat these steps until the wart is gone. Continue to perform these steps in a cycle, removing your duct tape every sixth evening, washing, debriding, and allowing your skin to rest, then applying duct tape the next morning. Over time, your wart should gradually recede. Don't stop your treatment until you're 100% sure the wart is gone. Be patient. This method can take a long time. - The original Focht, et al study lasted for about two months.
    • If your wart doesn't get better after two months or seems to get worse, see a doctor. You may have an especially hardy wart. - Luckily, there are other options for removal, including salicylic acid treatment and cryotherapy.



Tips

  • Studies have shown that this treatment is more effective with children.
  • If the wart does not show signs of improvement, try another treatment.
  • Try to dry the area before applying the duct tape.

Warnings

  • This may not work;. (Some studies have shown it to be ineffective.)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=203979
  2. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20061108/removing-warts-with-duct-tape-may-not-be-effective
  3. ↑ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/17691264
  4. ↑ http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=411864
  5. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/warts-and-plantar-warts-topic-overview

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