Removing Warts with Duct Tape

Fingers and hands are a common place for warts to form.

Warts commonly form on the hands or feet as a result of HPV (human papillomavirus). This skin infection is not only contagious, it can be downright embarrassing. Though you can make an appointment with your doctor to have warts removed, you can also remove them yourself at home, for a fraction of the cost, using duct tape. While there are many old wives' tales regarding medical home remedies, the process of using duct tape to remove warts has been studied by doctors and proven to be effective.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Clean towel
• Salicylic acid liquid wart remover
• Duct tape
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Wash the site of the wart before bed, using soap and water. Dry the skin thoroughly with a clean towel.

2. Apply a few drops of salicylic acid liquid wart remover directly onto the wart on your skin. Allow the liquid to soak into the skin for a couple of minutes.

3. 

   Duct tape is often silver but any color is effective.

   Cut a piece of duct tape a little bigger than the area of the wart. Place the duct tape directly over the wart.

4. Remove the duct tape the next morning and wash your skin. The duct tape helps to remove dead skin cells from the wart tissue.

5. Repeat all the steps each night until the wart tissue has disappeared. This may take several nights or up to a few weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat a wart at the first sign so the virus doesn't have a chance to spread.

References

• Advice with Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee: Wart Removal with Duct Tape

Resources

• Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine: The Efficacy of Duct Tape vs Cryotherapy