A Few Tips on How to Duct Tape Warts
Just about every household problem can be solved with the use of duct tape--warts are no different. So, if you hear people talking about how to duct tape warts, the subject may not be as far-fetched as it might seem.
Usually, warts are removed by applying liquid nitrogen to the site to freeze the skin and then the wart is scraped off. It is not a lot of fun even though it is a pretty simple procedure. That’s why so much attention has been paid to a new method of removing warts. They say it is not as painful to duct tape warts.
How to duct tape warts
In the first study done on duct taping warts, patients wore duct tape on their warts for a total of six days. Next, they took off their duct tape and soaked the wart in water. Finally, the wart was scraped with an emery board or a pumice stone. If the wart was still there the next day, it was again covered with duct tape and the process began again. It could take up to two months for the wart to completely disappear.
This approach to eliminating warts was worth it because the whole process was completed without pain. The research showed that 85% of the people who participated in the study had successful wart removal with this method. The normal freezing-type wart treatment is painful and only has a success rate of around 60%.
When you are shopping for duct tape, the regular version will work just fine. In fact, you probably already have some at home. The theory is that duct tape irritates your skin, which stimulates your immune system to action. Your immune system attacks the wart and dissolves it.
Transparent duct tape
The original study on how to duct tape warts successfully was completed in 2002. Another group of doctors set out to prove the point again in 2007. Unfortunately, these researchers did not have good results at getting rid of warts with duct tape. Only 21% had successful removal of warts with duct tape. The same percentage of people had success when they covered the wart with moleskin.
Technically, the studies cannot be compared to one another because the newest study used transparent duct tape and the first study used gray duct tape. The gray tape contains a rubber liner which the transparent tape does not. In any case, if you want to try this wart removal method, you are more apt to be successful with they gray, rubber-backed tape that you can find at just about any hardware store.
Wart removal
In case you are wondering what a wart is, it’s a tiny little bump that forms on top of your skin. It is caused by a papillomavirus. It is not cancerous and it is not harmful. Most people go to dermatologists for wart removal. If you just ignore it, a wart often disappears all by itself in two to three years.
Some people choose to use an over-the-counter preparation containing salicylic acid which is usually a hit or miss approach. Doctors have much better luck at permanent wart removal. They use liquid nitrogen or laser therapy. The wart disappears quickly. Other options are prescription creams or an injection that fights the virus which causes the wart. Immune system therapy is also used.
Both adults and children get warts. Touching a wart doesn’t mean that you will get a wart too but the virus which causes warts is contagious from one person to another. It is usually passed through sharing the same personal items such as a towel or a washcloth.
In spite of the old wives tale, you cannot get a wart from kissing or touching a toad.