Plantar Warts Duct Tape Treatment

Plantar warts are flat, non-cancerous growth on the bottoms of the feet, often at pressure points. They're caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). While they aren't life-threatening, they can be uncomfortable and difficult to treat. Surgery or lasers can remove these warts, but these methods are expensive. You can often eliminate warts at home with duct tape.

Medical Evidence

• A study published in the 2002 Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine showed that duct tape was more effective than cryotherapy (freezing) in removing warts. Eighty-five percent of patients in the study saw their warts resolve with duct tape treatment, compared to 65 percent for cryotherapy.

  Interestingly enough, other warts not covered by duct tape that were located elsewhere on the patients who underwent the duct tape treatment also disappeared. Researchers theorized that the duct tape somehow stimulated the immune system to fight the wart viruses.

Procedure

• Cover the wart with duct tape and leave it in place for six days. Replace the tape as needed. After six days, remove the tape and wash the wart. Then rub it gently with an emery board or pumice stop, removing any dead skin. Re-cover the wart with tape for another six days. Repeat the process until the wart is gone.

  It may take six weeks or more for the wart to completely disappear. While this method is slow, it's painless and very inexpensive.

  You can combine the duct tape with the application of salicylic acid plasters. You can buy these plasters at a drug store. Apply the plaster, then the duct tape. This may help get rid of the wart more quickly.