Duct Tape Banishes Warts

Got a nasty wart? Patch it up with duct tape, the handyman's best friend. The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reports this handy silver tape was "significantly more effective" than the standard treatment of cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen) in banishing the warts of 51 patients at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Of two test groups, only 60 per cent of cryotherapy patients experienced complete resolution of their warts compared to 85 per cent of those treated with duct tape.

For similar results, apply duct tape and leave on for six days, replacing it if it falls off. On the seventh day, soak the wart in water, then file it off with an emery board or pumice stone. After 12 hours, apply a new piece of duct tape and repeat the cycle for two months or until wart is gone. Most duct-taped warts in the study disappeared within one month.

Source: National Post, Oct. 15, 2002, and Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Vol 156, No. 10.