Sticking it to stubborn warts

Q: Do you have any tips for getting rid of warts?

JVW: One of the best treatments I have found for removing warts is one that doesn't actually involve any vitamins, herbs, or other nutrients. In fact, all it involves is duct tape.

Several years ago, Dr. Dean Focht, a medical resident at Madigan Army Hospital in Tacoma, Washington, had 51 individuals, ages 3 to 22, use either standard liquid nitrogen freezing therapy or "duct tape therapy" for wart removal.

Of the 25 individuals using duct tape, 85 percent had their warts disappear, usually within a month. In the 26-member liquid nitrogen group, only 60 percent of the warts went away.

The therapy itself is fairly easy: Just cut the duct tape to the size of the wart and stick it on for six days. Then remove the tape, soak the wart in water, and buff it with pumice or an emery board. Twelve hours later, apply new tape. Repeat this cycle until the wart disappears.

If you find that the duct tape keeps falling off, or if you just want to disguise it, the easiest solution is to put a band-aid over the tape.

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