Duct tape cures warts — Does the theory stick?

If you’re a fan of the series MythBusters, then you probably know that you can fix just about anything with duct tape. The strong, flexible, and very sticky tape has been tested in so many scenarios on that show, that I lost count of all its uses. The one thing, they never tested though, is whether duct tape is effective in treating common skin warts, a claim made by many. I decided to help the MythBusters out.

I was very surprised to learn that quite a few studies have been done over the years to test this claim. Most, in the early 2000’s. I suppose the theory was, if we could survive Y2K, then surely, anything is possible. Even bigger was my surprise to find a study dating back to the late 1970’s! Maybe this also coincided with an end-of-the-world scare.

The treatment even has a name: duct tape occlusion therapy (DTOT) and involves covering the wart with duct tape for about six days, removing the tape, soaking the affected area in warm water for a couple of minutes, rubbing the wart with a pumice stone or emery board, and then covering it up with duct tape again after a couple of hours. This process is repeated until the wart disappears, which might take several weeks. Now for some, covering themselves in duct tape, might be a fashion statement, for others, there might not be a worse type of torture. In both scenarios, the question remains, is it at least worth it?

What does the science say?

A 2002 study compared duct tape to cryotherapy (where the wart is frozen with nitrogen). The study claims that 85% of patients using duct tape saw their warts disappear, compared to 60% who received cryotherapy. However, the average age of all participants was 9 years, and pediatric warts have a sneaky way of clearing up on their own, making the results questionable.

In 2006 they compared duct tape to corn pads. This study showed that 16% of warts cleared up with duct tape, compared to 6% of the corn pads. A similar result was obtained in 2007, when duct tape was compared to moleskin.

A 2014 meta-analysis (a study that looks at other studies), concluded that there is no evidence that duct tape is superior to placebo.

It seems even science is undecided.

How is duct tape supposed to work?

Again, there is no straight answer. Is it because it deprives the wart of oxygen, and the cells suffocate? This might be an option, but it seems unlikely, as cells to not absorb oxygen from the air.

I would however imagine that every time you take the duct tape off, it takes with it the top layer of cells reducing the size of the wart, until it disappears. This means the glue might be the secret agent here. A 2016 study supports this theory. They used not only duct tape, but also super glue (cyanoacrylate) to treat warts, and had an 80% success rate in resolving warts within 8 weeks. Most other studies used clear duct tape, not the silver one we are most familiar with, and most of these studies state, that the tape just didn’t stick for long enough.

So, there you go, it seems that ripping your warts off with duct tape, might just work. Just keep in mind that you will also be ripping of other skin cells in the process, that might lead to irritation and sensitivity.

Will I be using this method to treat a wart? It’s definitely cheaper than going to the doctor, and more readily available, but I for one, am not convinced. I won’t be styling my outfits around my duct tape covered hands anytime soon.

Maybe you’re more adventurous than I am…