How to Use Duct Tape to Get Rid of Warts

Using duct tape to get rid of warts is a simple and inexpensive treatment that can be used instead of conventional treatments with salicylic acid and cryotherapy (freezing of the wart). Plantar warts, which are found on the soles of the toes and feet, are the hardest to get rid of, but the duct tape method can be effective in treating them. The human papilloma virus causes plantar warts when the virus enters the foot through breaks or cuts in the skin.

Things You'll Need

• Gray duct tape
• Pumice stone
• Salicylic acid

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Instructions

Using Duct Tape Alone

• 1

  Cut a piece of duct tape large enough to cover the wart. Apply the duct tape to the wart and press on firmly. Keep this on for six days. If it falls off, place another piece on the wart and continue counting to the sixth day.

• 2

  Take the duct tape off the wart on the sixth day. Soak the wart in warm water. Use a pumice stone to scrub the dead skin away from the area.

• 3

  Place a new piece of duct tape on the wart for another six days.

• 4

  Repeat these steps until the wart is gone, but don't go longer than two months. If the wart does not go away after two months, you should consult a doctor for a different treatment.

Using Salicylic Acid and Duct Tape Together

• 5

  At night before bed, apply salicylic acid to the wart and allow it to dry. Place a piece of duct tape over the wart.

• 6

  In the morning, remove the duct tape, which removes some of the wart tissue. Apply a a clean piece of duct tape for the daytime. Only use the salicylic acid at night.

• 7

  Continue to alternate using salicylic acid and duct tape at night and duct tape alone during the day. If the wart has not been removed after two months, consult a doctor.