Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings

Warts are unsightly and annoying and unfortunately are all too common. One of the best home treatments for warts (and verrucas in particular) is gray duct tape. Called "duct tape occlusion therapy" (DTOT) in English, this treatment involves covering the wart with duct tape for a long time and then debriding the wart. Debriding is the removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue. This treatment is repeated until the wart has disappeared. This treatment gained scientific credibility as a legitimate treatment method when Focht et al. Proved that DTOT was more effective than freezing the warts. Since then, however, the research has been criticized. Yet many anecdotal sources swear by DTOT.

To step

1. Clean the skin around the wart. For this treatment, you will need to cover the area around the wart for about a week. Before you start, it is wise to thoroughly clean the wart and the surrounding skin. This way you can be sure that dirt and other debris that can cause spots and blemishes are not trapped against the skin.
2. Repeat these steps until the wart is gone. Continue to follow these steps in cycles. Remove the tape every sixth night, debride the wart, give the skin some rest, and reapply the duct tape the next morning. Over time, the wart will gradually recede. Do not stop the treatment until you are 100 percent sure that the wart has disappeared. Be patient. This method can take quite some time. The original study by Focht et al. Lasted approximately two months.
   • Visit the doctor if the wart has not improved or has gotten worse after two months. You may be dealing with a particularly tough wart. Fortunately, there are multiple treatment options, including cryotherapy and salicylic acid treatment.

Tips

• Research has shown that this treatment is more effective in children.
• If the wart shows no improvement, try another treatment method.

Warnings

• This method may not be successful. There are also studies that have shown that this method is ineffective.