Plantar Warts and Duct Tape?
It's plantar warts, not planters warts. These are warts on the bottom of your foot, where they can cause pain with each step. Our ADAM medical encyclopedia has an interesting suggestion for plantar wart self-treatment - duct tape! That's twice in a week I've had experts recommend duct tape on your feet. And here I was, only using it to put up walking event route arrows. They strongly recommend not to try to remove the plantar wart yourself by "burning, cutting, tearing, picking, or any other method." But you can try the duct tape or go see a doctor to have it frozen or burnt off professionally. Drawing of plantar warts.
But hold onto that roll of duct tape! A new study was published just days after I first wrote this post that found that duct tape had no more effect than putting a corn pad over the wart (considered to be the sham or placebo treatment). And, as I suspected, some of the children in the study reported itches and rashes from the duct tape, but not the corn pads. I'd say the jury is still out on using duct tape on warts. I'd far rather use a corn pad - something meant to be used on the foot, rather than something that hasn't been tested for provoking skin reactions. Of course, neither of these may have any effect at all.
- Warts: A plantar wart is just like any other wart, it's just where it is - on the sole of your foot. Our Dermatology Guide has the scoop on warts.
- Wart Basics: Dr. Vince also tells about the duct tape method for wart removal, from our Pediatrics Guide.
- Duct Tape Wart Study I: Focht DR III, et al. "The efficacy of duct tape vs cryotherapy in the treatment of verruca vulgaris (the common wart)." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med October 2002;156:971-4.
- Duct Tape Wart Study II: Marloes de Haen, MD, et. al. "Efficacy of Duct Tape vs Placebo in the Treatment of Verruca Vulgaris (Warts) in Primary School Children." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. November, 2006;160:1121-1125.
The duct tape does work. It took a few weeks of daily application but the wart did go away
Good to know, remlap!
The thing is that duct tape is made with a large variety of fibers and, probably, adhesive. So, if you find a roll that doesn’t irritate your skin, best to stick with that roll. There is huge variability from lot to lot even of the same brand.
Makes duct tape easy to identify and track if you use it to commit a crime. Moral of the story: use it cautiously on the feet, but never use it in the commission of a crime.
In addition crushed garlic applied directly to the wart and covered with band aid will remove the wart. Reapply until wart visibly diminishes. It also works to get whatever causes the warts out the system and other warts will go away without applying it to them. May burn for a while and cause temporary discoloration but it works and it is cheaper than burning and freezing. Banana peels work too but are oftn too messy and hard to apply.
Duct tape DOES work! I am a RN..I had a HUGE..mosaic plantar wart on my foot. It covered an area 2.5 in x 2.5 in… the MD’s wanted to burn it out without guarantee OR give me some drug that suppress my immune system.. I did duct tape and gentle shaving VERY carefully over a period of 6 months and as of today it is almost gone. SG greatlife53@yahoo.com
A few years ago I started getting plantar’s warts. Tried the duct tape cure and it’s worked for me every time. Apply duct tape, pull it if off after about 3 days and the wart comes off too, roots and all.
Duct tape DOES work. My daughter is an athlete (hockey player) and is spends many hours in stinky, disgusting dressing rooms. Despite her best efforts to avoid infection like wearing sandals all the time, she got warts on the bottom of her feet. After many expensive drug store treatments and many visits to the doctor for liquid nitrogen treatments, we tried DUCT TAPE…and in less than a week, the warts have almost vanished. These were huge, painful warts that by wearing a patch of cheap duct tape has almost eradicated them. The first few days were a little uncomfortable as the wart was being “smothered” by the tape and seemed to fight back. We have won the battle and the discomfort has passed. My daughter said the discomfort was nothing in comparison to the post nitrogen pain. Grab a roll and save a bundle of cash and time.
My crazy Polish grandmother used to get plantar warts and what her mother used to do for her is crush a teaspoon-worth the “most potent” onion, “strongest” vinegar, combine it in half a shell of a walnut and bandage this concoction on top of the wart every night and wash and bandage during the day. This might take anywhere from days to weeks but she swears by it.
She tried this on my foot and it stunk so bad I just quit doing it and went to the doctor who lasered it off. But now it’s back after 5 years and I’m having it lasered off again. Doc said the first time they didn’t get all the virus out so it was dormant for 5 years. If I get it again, which I might, I’d like to try the duct tape route, although I’m not the most patient person, sounds like it works for a lot of people.
I’d have to say..duct tape DOES NOT work. I have tried it for many constant months.. It stopped some pain..but is still there. by the way, I have had my painful wart for 9 years and its grown into 5 warts. Not to happy.
hi,
i have plantar since 1 year,its was just1 on feet and spread in to 4 points i went to doc he advised for laser treatment i did that,but naow after 4months it spread agin in to 6 more points on foot,it pain,i am very much upset with it,by searching treatment on internet i got the use of duc tape i will start it from to day and also aply a medicen named DUOFILM,from Stiefels.lets see what happens,i hope and pray for the Best,
I had a plantars wart for over 13 years on the ball of my right foot which made walking early in the morning and late at night very painful but i dealt with it. I had it cut out and burned off but it always came back a couple weeks later. I heard about the duct tape treatment and tried it. I would put a piece of duct tape on everymorning and wear it until the next morning and take it off, shower, then put another one on. Did that for 8 weeks and the wart was completely gone for good..its been 9 months now. BTW the first few days with the duct tape made my wart hurt more than usual, but after that was fine. Enjoy
I have had a pretty good sized plantar wart on my foot for about 3 months. At first I had no clue what this callouse(sp) like thing was doing on my heel. As an athlete I was running at least 3 times a week and had related it to running but after much research (and pain) I found out it was a plantar wart. I also found out that it was from the showers that I use after I get done with my swim workout. I had bought sond Compound W Plantar wart pads and used them for awhile but they havent worked and I am getting fustrated. I had a friend who is a dancer and she told me about the duct tape method and was skeptical at first but now as I am typing this I have duct tape on my heel! The warts have spread though from my heel to my toes (gross I know) but I am calling the doctor for help. I know it will be a long process but my walk has changed because of the wart and because of the pain that it has caused me. I also would like to metion that my wart (once again get ready for some gross) has been bleeding a lot (at least 4 times a week). I am fustrated and hope that the duct tape works.
I really, REALLY hope this duct tape method works. I’m going to try it today, but I’m sceptical. I’ve had plantar’s warts for years and years, and I’ve had them surgically cut off, with a wide margin around the growth itself, AND IT STILL CAME BACK! I’ve had them cut off A SECOND TIME, and the growths STILL CAME BACK! I have had tremendous non-success with my plantar’s warts and I’m open to any new suggesstion, and the duct-tape method is what keeps popping up via online searches and message boards. The opening to this site says it doesn’t work, but ALMOST ALL OF THE COMMENTS SWEAR BY IT! I will definitaly start trying it today, and in a few months I will testify to it again on this same message board. Thanks for the insight, and God willing I hope it works..
I found that certain duct tapes worked while others didn’t. The one that got rid of my first plantar wart was black duck brand duct tape. That wart has been gone for a few years now.
I have had a second wart that hasn’t bothered me until recently. Today I grabbed a roll of tape from my car and stuck it on there. Seems to be working just after 6 hours
The tape works. I pulled this link off of original page.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030201/tips/8.html
My primary care physician recommended this treatment and it works. The expensive over the counter treatment was a waste of money. Buy duct tape. Another IT works! vote here and now a happy camper. Woo HOO
Just read the posts about plantar warts and duct tape. Well, I went to a foot dr. (podiatrist) and he put some kind of acid on the wart and then said to put a small piece of duct tape on it daily…removing the peice from the day before and then putting a new piece on everyday. It takes some patience. The first time I was to do it for 30 days and them come in for him to check it. It did NOT work the first time so he re-applied the acid and has me doing the duct tape daily again for another 30 days. I will go back in about 1-2 weeks but I think it is going away. Sounds like it’s less painfull than other treatments so I’ll glad we went this route.
I think shaving it down as much as possible to remove what callous (sp)has built up also help when using the duct tape because then the wart can be suffocated by the duct tape. I bought a shaving tool that you can get in the foot and nail care section of a store like wal-mart,target or Fred Meyer. Be carefull not to hurt yourself though. They are really sharp blades!
Duct tape worked for me! No lie. I also applied garlic to the area every few days, and took odorless garlic pills in large quantities. I honestly believe the combination of garlic and duct tape got rid of the huge plantar wart I had. It took about 3 weeks, so don’t get discouraged!
My son had a wart when he was about 10. we tried over the counter methods, didnt work. we went to the dr and he froze it off.. came back even worse with several surrounding the original wart. we went back to the Dr. he said, I’m going to give you a paper. it explains how to use Duct tape. I’ve never tried it but maybe it will work. we tried it and w/in 2 weeks it went away and has never returned. Never again will i use the over the counter and frozen methods again!!
Duct tape worked for me, and it did because it cuts off the oxygen supply to the wart, I have read in a science journal:)
I had a plantar wart for many years. I had it surgically removed twice, and both times it grew right back! I also tried all the over the counter methods and it didn’t seem to work. Finally I tried a new podiatrist who told me to buy Trans Ver Sal pads (he said they are the best, I had to buy them over the internet) and apply the pads with duct tape (shaving down the area to get rid of the dead skin). I was skeptical but I gave it a try and believe it or not, the plantar wart I had for 10 years finally went away!