Duct tape is the product of a million uses… make it 1,000,001. The super strong, silver-gray tape that works on everything from car repairs to household maintenance adds medical care to its list of capabilities. Researchers say over-the-hardware-counter duct tape is a more effective and much less painful means of wart removal than liquid nitrogen, the traditional treatment used to remove warts by freezing.
In one study conducted at the Madigan Army Medical Center near Tacoma, Washington, twenty-six patients between the ages of three and twenty-two wore duct tape over their warts for six days. The duct tape was cut to the exact size of the wart and was attached directly on top. After they removed the tape, the patients soaked the affected area in water and used an emery board or pumice stone to gently scrape the spot. The tape was reapplied the same way the next morning. The treatment continued for a maximum of two months or until the wart was gone. In most cases the warts disappeared within twenty eight days.
In the same study, twenty-five patients underwent traditional freezing treatment to remove warts. The results weighed in heavily in favor of a sticky new solution to wart removal. OF the twenty-six patients treated with duct tape, 85 percent got rid of their warts compared with 60 percent of the 25 patients who received the freezing treatment.
The duct tape irritated the warts, and that apparently caused an immune system reaction that attacked the growths, said researcher Dr. Dean "Rick" Focht III of Cincinnati Children`s Hospital Medical Center. Another theory on the effectiveness of duct tape in the removal of warts is that the stickiness removes dead skin cells from the surface of the wart and gradually eliminates the wart virus that lives on the skin.
Pediatric dermatologist Dr. Anthony J. Mancini of Children`s Memorial Hospital in Chicago said he also uses duct-tape therapy for wart removal in his practice. "The whole point of this is a non-painful approach," said Mancini, who was not involved in the study.
A more aggressive duct tape therapy approach includes applying a liquid over-the-counter salicylic acid wart remover to the wart before bedtime. After letting it air dry for a minute or so, apply the duct tape over the wart, completely covering the area. Remove the duct tape the following morning. Repeat the application each night, until there is no remaining wart tissue.
While duct tape therapy appears to be effective, possible down-sides may include skin that can become very red and soggy under the duct tape. If this happens, then take a few nights to one week off of the treatment to let the area breathe and dry out, and then resume therapy.
As Dr. Mancini points out, duct tape treatment is a gradual process that takes time and commitment on the part of the patient.
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| | Treating Warts |
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Warts are benign and unattractive growths on the skin or mucous membranes. Also known as verrucae, warts can cause severe pain and discomfort. Though warts can appear at any age, children and teenagers are most commonly afflicted.
Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
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| | | Warts |
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These are small, rough cauliflower like growth which generally occur on the hands and feet. These are caused by a viral infection called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). It is also believed that they are caused due to stress.
Warts generally disappear after a few months but there is a chance that
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