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What is the Easiest Method of Home Wart Removal?

Anna T.
Anna T.

Some of the easiest methods of home wart removal might involve the use of duct tape or apple cider vinegar. Both of these methods will likely take longer to work than over-the-counter wart treatments or other wart removal methods used in-office by doctors. In spite of the fact that home removal methods tend to take longer, they have the advantage of being more convenient to use and are also often less expensive than other methods used for removing warts. The duct tape method typically takes the longest to work, but does not normally irritate the skin in the same way that the apple cider vinegar home wart removal method might.

Using duct tape for wart removal involves cutting a small piece of the duct tape off to cover the wart and as little of the skin surrounding the wart as possible. The tape should be left on day and night for roughly one week before it is removed. Once removed, the surface of the wart should be scraped repeatedly with an emery board or some other type of exfoliating tool. After scraping, a fresh layer of duct tape should be reapplied to the surface of the wart. This process might have to be repeated for up to two months before the wart completely disappears.

Warts on a hand.
Warts on a hand.

The apple cider vinegar home wart removal method is also fairly easy to administer. Most people use apple cider vinegar for warts by soaking a cotton ball in the vinegar and applying it to the wart. A band aid is then placed over the top of the cotton ball to hold it in place on the wart. Some people wear the band aid and cotton ball at night while they sleep and remove them when they wake up, while other people wear the cotton ball and band aid continuously throughout the day until the wart disappears. If the cotton ball and band aid are worn non-stop, it is usually necessary to change them out a few times a day.

A person applying medicine to a wart.
A person applying medicine to a wart.

Duct tape tends to work as a home wart removal method by preventing air from coming in contact with the wart. The lack of air might suffocate the wart growth, and the stickiness of the duct tape tends to remove layers and layers of dead skin cells from the surface of the wart. These skin cells contain some of the virus that caused the wart, and the removal of these cells might help to kill the virus. Apple cider vinegar is a very acidic substance, and the acid in the vinegar can help to burn the wart off the surface of the skin. Many people might find apple cider vinegar to be uncomfortable to use, and people with exceptionally sensitive skin might want to use this method sparingly.

Discussion Comments

donasmrs

@ddljohn-- I think that vinegar, tea tree oil, etc. are easier to use for warts. You just have to dab it on the wart whenever you remember to do it.

bluedolphin

@ddljohn-- I've used duct tape as a wart remover. It's not painful to scrape the wart and the virus won't spread if you keep the area clean.

The duct tape actually kills the virus in the process because the wart can't get air when it's covered with duct tape. Just make sure that the duct tape isn't bigger than the wart. It should fit perfectly over it. Take it off once a day, soak the wart in water to soften it and then use an emery board to scrape off dead skin. After you're done. wash with soapy water, dry the wart and cover it again with a fresh piece of duct tape.

It can take a while for the duct tape method to work. Mine took almost a month. But it was easy and I only spent ten minutes each day to treat it.

ddljohn

I want to try the duct tape method for wart removal but I'm worried about the exfoliation part. If I scrape the wart, won't it cause the virus to spread? And won't it be painful?

Are there other home remedies for wart removal aside from these? Preferably ones that don't involve scraping the wart?

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    • Warts on a hand.
      By: Tiler84
      Warts on a hand.
    • A person applying medicine to a wart.
      By: leschnyhan
      A person applying medicine to a wart.
    • Apple cider vinegar might be helpful with removing warts.
      By: Comugnero Silvana
      Apple cider vinegar might be helpful with removing warts.
    • Duct tape takes some time to act as a wart remover.
      By: Kimberly Reinick
      Duct tape takes some time to act as a wart remover.