Some say that the circumspect application of Duct Tape works as a viable verruca-removal method.
Others say it doesn’t. And yet others say that they can’t really be sure. We present below a (partial) listing of professional viewpoints from the medical literature.
Does work (as good as cryotherapy) •
• The Efficacy of Duct Tape vs Cryotherapy in the Treatment of Verruca Vulgaris (the Common Wart) ARCH PEDIATR ADOLESC MED/ VOL 156, OCT 2002
• Is Duct Tape Occlusion Therapy as Effective as Cryotherapy for the Treatment of the Common Wart? JAMA Pediatrics October 2002, Vol 156, No. 10
• Duct tape removes warts. The Journal of Family Practice [2003, 52(2):111-112]
Doesn’t work (no better than a placebo)
• Duct Tape for the Treatment of Common Warts in Adults ARCH DERMATOL/VOL 143, MAR 2007
• Duct tape ineffective in treating warts AAP News, 2007 – Am Acad Pediatrics [sub. reqd.]
• Duct tape of een placebo? [in Dutch] Huisarts en Wetenschap, September 2007, Volume 50, Issue 9, pp 648-654
Can’t really say (evidence is too conflicting to suggest benefit)
• Treating Common Warts: Options and Evidence Australian family physician, 2010 [click full text image to view]
Bonus: Libretto: “La Forza Del Duct Tape” A mini-opera for the 1998 Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony Words by Don Kater and Marc Abrahams, Music by Franz List, Giuseppi Verdi, and Ludwig van Beethoven. This opera premiered at the 1998 Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre.
Note: Duct Tape was originally called Duck Tape, because it was fabricated using cotton duck (and was water resistant).