Duct Tape Warts
Duct Tape Warts: Fact or Fiction?
There are a couple of wart remedies that you might want to try. This is especially if you want to avoid the cost and possible side effects of medication and medical procedures. One of the most popular wart remedies of all time is duct tape wart treatment. The question is whether this is really an effective remedy or not.
Duct Tape Warts
Duct Tape Treatment
Duct tape wart treatment has become so popular that it now comes with its own fancy name. It is officially called tape occlusion therapy. Although some individuals claim that it truly is an effective method, scientific studies do not agree as to its effectiveness. A study conducted by Focht has shown that the method may be more effective in wart removal than cryotherapy. Another study by Wenner using clear duct tape showed that the method only had around a 21% rate of effectiveness among test subjects. Regardless of whether duct tape wart treatment is effective or not, a lot of individuals continue to use it.
How It Works
The reason behind the effects of duct tape on warts is poorly understood. There are however a couple of theories and guesses as to why duct tape seems to work as a wart treatment. The most simple and basic explanation is that duct tape simply peels off dead cells when it is taped securely over a wart. This makes a lot of sense because ordinary duct tape does stick very well and can easily peel off skin cells, dead or otherwise.
There is another explanation for the possible effectiveness of duct tape wart treatment. This is where the term occlusion really applies. Duct tape is believed to be responsible for partially irritating the skin on and around the wart. This then stimulates the immune system to kick in and fight the wart growth.
Application Tips
Some duct tape users claim that the reason why it is sometimes ineffective is because other users don’t use it properly. The most common way to apply duct tape is to put it over the clean and dry wart and let the tape stay there for a week or more. The tape can then be removed after the appointed period of time after which the affected part should be soaked in water. After soaking, the wart has to be pared off with an emery board, dried and wrapped with fresh duct tape. The procedure can be repeated until the wart disappears completely. The duct tape wart method can also be combined with salicylic acid application.
Things to Watch Out For
Do remember that duct tape does not allow a lot of air in. This means that duct tape wart treatment could become potentially unpleasant. This is especially when you remove the tape and your skin feels a bit moist and wrinkled. In some cases, it can even give off a slightly bad smell.
Duct tape wart treatment may or may not work for your particular wart condition. You simply have to try this solution to see for yourself if it will work for you.
