Doctor recommends surprising hack to remove stubborn warts using DUCT TAPE

Warts can be a painful – and embarrassing – problem that is extremely difficult to get rid of.

People can try over-the-counter treatments, prescription medications, and even minor surgical procedures, but the annoying growths appear for months without success.

However, a simple household item may be the key to killing warts for good.

Mississippi-based dermatologist Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky, known as @dermguru on TikTok, posted a video to her 1.2 million followers in which she outlined several health tips and tricks, including how to properly apply deodorant and cure chapped lips for good.

But one piece of advice she gave may be an unexpected home remedy for the common problem of warts.

She explains in one of hers videos: ‘If you have very bad warts, especially on thick areas such as the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet, they can be incredibly difficult to get rid of.

“One hack I tell my patients is to apply Compound W, a 40 percent salicylic acid, to the warts and then cover it with duct tape… Yes. Duct tape.”

Compound W is an over-the-counter treatment for wart removal.

The dermatologist continued, “Or you can just use duct tape alone. There are even scientific studies that support that this works.’

Dr. Zubritsky points to one study in particular, a 2019 study study published in the journal Canadian Family Physician. It is recommended to apply a small piece of duct tape directly to the wart once every four to seven days. Then remove the tape, clean the area with soap and water, and remove dead skin cells with a nail file.

Apply another piece of tape 12 hours later and repeat this cycle for four to six weeks.

In one of the first studies of duct tape for treating warts in 1978, researchers tested the household item with the quintessential wart treatment of cryotherapy: freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen.

They found that 85 percent of children treated with duct tape had their warts completely gone, compared to 60 percent of children in the cryotherapy group.

Decades later, health care experts still recommend duct tape treatment in some cases.

The Cleveland Clinic recommends similar steps to those outlined in the 2019 study.

First, cut a piece of duct tape and place it over the wart and leave it there for five days. On day five, remove the tape, soak the wart in warm water and scrub away the dead skin. Leave the wart uncovered for 10 to 12 hours before patching with tape.

Repeat the process for four to six weeks or until the wart is completely gone.

Dermatologist Dr. Melissa Piliang told the Cleveland Clinic that covering warts with duct tape makes it a less than ideal environment for a wart.

She explained: ‘Covering warts with duct tape makes the skin wet, pale and wrinkly, which is not an ideal environment for a wart.’

She also said that the tape is so sticky that if you pull it off, you’ll probably remove a layer of the wart as well.

The clinic added that some experts believe that chemicals in the duct tape adhesive may trigger an immune response that helps fight warts, while the tape does not actually treat the wart but rather prevents it from spreading.

Experts also warn that duct tape is not an appropriate treatment for all types of warts, such as warts near the mouth, eyes and nose, under the fingernails, or on and near the genitals.

Common warts are a very common health problem, especially in children; up to 10 percent of children aged 12 to 16 years suffer from it.

Most warts are caused by the human papillomavirus, are not harmful and disappear on their own.

However, warts are known to be difficult to remove. It may take one to two years and several rounds of treatment for them to disappear completely.