# Warts! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364 "2004-03-30T18:50:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/1 "2004-03-30T18:50:02Z")
The Toad Prince has kissed me on the hand, and now, I’ve got warts. Right at the root of a finger, just above the web. Right where it gets rubbed all day long as I type. Before anyone says “Go see a doctor!” - well, I have, and I will again. Doc froze the wart about a month ago. It blistered, shriveled and went away. Just for a vacation - it came back and brought friends. I’ve now got three warts in that spot. The follow-up appointment is in a couple weeks - can I expect him to say “Oh, this happens occasionally” and re-freeze? Or recoil in horror? Hang his head in shame that he couldn’t kill one little wart? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/2 "2004-03-30T18:59:33Z")
“There’s nothing funny about warts. They’re a skin growth caused by a viral infection. Left untreated they can grow, and they can spread. To other parts of your body or even to other people.” 1970s COMPOUND W advertisement. Oddly enough, when it was first produced [Ricin](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Living/ITeam_ricin.html) was referred to as "Compound W, " but probably not for its wart fighting capabilities. My Mom did cryogenic wart combat for years and never beat them. I’ve had one on my fingertip for 20 years–abused it, dug at it, chewed it–it never spread or went away. Just sits there like…a wart. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/3 "2004-03-30T19:04:32Z")
Years ago I had some warts that were frozen off by College health services a couple times and came back. They finally went away for good when a doctor burned them off instead - a little local anesthetic, application of a tool that looked like a miniature arc welder, and a god awful smell. But the warts stayed gone. I think all of the techniques are bit hit or miss, and YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/4 "2004-03-30T19:22:52Z")
My wife has been plagued with warts her entire life. The dermatologists have tried everything, but they seem to keep coming back. Not always in the same place however. Her latest nightmare was having a couple of warts on the bottom of her foot zapped. She has an extraordinary level of pain tolerance, and even she said this hurt like the dickens. I’m not being very helpful am I? All I’m trying to do is say that just because they came back, it doesn’t mean the doctor did anything wrong. As **yabob** says, it seems to be a hit or miss proposition. ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/5 "2004-03-30T20:26:29Z")
You are not going to believe this but the answer is [duct tape.](http://www.drmirkin.com/morehealth/1580.html) Really. ---
**Author:** ![toysarefun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@toysarefun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toysarefun)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/6 "2004-03-30T20:29:27Z")
After the doc freezes the wart a few times and seems to think thats enough well…, its not enough. Let things warm back up for a little bit and refreeze it again, and again, and again…, as much pain as you can take, as much as the doc will permit. The trick is to get to the root. Sounds like your root did not die, and in fact branched off like a weed, hoping for survival. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/7 "2004-03-30T21:00:20Z")
I’ve heard the duct tape thing before; it’s worth a try, isn’t it? Interestingly (or actually probably not), I just learned the proper definition of _macerate_ - I had always (wrongly)understood it to mean ‘grind or chop into small pieces’, and I was wondering how duct tape would do this to skin under any ordinary circumstances, but it turns out the word means something entirely different - to soak, steep or moisten. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/8 "2004-03-30T22:32:57Z")
> [@Truth Seeker](#): > > You are not going to believe this but the answer is [duct tape.](http://www.drmirkin.com/morehealth/1580.html) Really. Outstanding! In the name of science I shall purchase a roll of 3M duct tape tonight and report back in two months. **Mangetout** thank you for the tip on “macerate.” I was NOT looking forward to this solution. ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/9 "2004-03-31T00:13:11Z")
If you’re going to try it, make sure you get the whole procedure. There was a little more to it than the summary I cited. [http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/about/news/release/2002/10-warts.htm](http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/about/news/release/2002/10-warts.htm) [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/14/health/main525523.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/14/health/main525523.shtml) You also have to walk clockwise three times around an oak tree with a dead squirrel in your pants at midnight. But you know how the popular press is, they always leave out the important details in these science stories. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/10 "2004-03-31T00:24:14Z")
Why pay for a doctor’s visit? They have the freezing agent they use over the counter now. Freeze that sucker yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/11 "2004-03-31T00:32:40Z")
> [@Truth Seeker](#): > > You also have to walk clockwise three times around an oak tree with a dead squirrel in your pants at midnight. But you know how the popular press is, they always leave out the important details in these science stories. Help me out here…clockwise: is that the same as widershins? I’m in the Northern Hemiphere. And I heven’t seen a squiirel or Oak tree around here, but there’s lots of aspen & dead prarie dogs. I’ll try but no guarantees. ---
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/12 "2004-03-31T00:37:26Z")
Say. Ya think this works on genital warts 'cause…I’m just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/13 "2004-03-31T00:38:23Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > there’s lots of aspen & dead prarie dogs. I’ll try but no guarantees. Goddamn it, **Montoya** , none of this alternative medicine bullshit. Does science mean nothing to you? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/14 "2004-03-31T00:52:20Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Why pay for a doctor’s visit? They have the freezing agent they use over the counter now. Freeze that sucker yourself. I tried that stuff on a plantar wart and it didn’t work. And, it’s nowhere near as cold as LN2. Besides, it costs more than my office visit co-pay. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_smartypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@miss\_smartypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_smartypants)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/15 "2004-03-31T00:53:05Z")
Not about warts or duct tape, but interesting never the less… I am a nurse and some years ago we had an elderly patient with chronic ulcers on her ankles. Due to poor circulation lower extremity ulcers can be very difficult to heal in the elderly, and nothing we had tried was working–the ulcers remained raw and oozing. One day her doc brought in some gold leaf saying she had heard of a new treatment. Gold leaf comes in very thin sheets and is usually used on craft projects–maybe some of you have done it. Well, the doc gold leafed the ulcers and then wrapped the patients ankles in gauze. A week later the doc removed the gauze and amazingly the gold was gone, completely gone, and the ulcers were covered with beautiful healing tissue. It was like a miracle. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/16 "2004-03-31T00:56:45Z")
> [@Truth Seeker](#): > > Goddamn it, **Montoya** , none of this alternative medicine bullshit. Does science mean nothing to you? I’ll just hope this is a whoosh as Montoya’s just playing on your oak tree and dead squirrel. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/17 "2004-03-31T01:35:49Z")
I have a friend that has one half off. Duct tape would be a bad idea… wouldnt it? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/18 "2004-03-31T08:13:16Z")
> [@miss smartypants](#): > > I am a nurse and some years ago we had an elderly patient with chronic ulcers on her ankles. Due to poor circulation lower extremity ulcers can be very difficult to heal in the elderly, and nothing we had tried was working–the ulcers remained raw and oozing. One day her doc brought in some gold leaf saying she had heard of a new treatment. Gold leaf comes in very thin sheets and is usually used on craft projects–maybe some of you have done it. Well, the doc gold leafed the ulcers and then wrapped the patients ankles in gauze. A week later the doc removed the gauze and amazingly the gold was gone, completely gone, and the ulcers were covered with beautiful healing tissue. It was like a miracle. Gold is relatively inert; it may be that the gold leaf he used was actually Dutch Metal - a type of highly ductile brass that is very widely used as a substitute for gold and gold leaf - brass is an alloy of copper and zinc - both of which (oversimplification:)have anti-microbial and antiseptic properties. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/19 "2004-03-31T08:14:42Z")
Oops; that link goes nowhere - I was intending to link to a an online encyclopaedia, but the entry just said “see _brass_”. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364/20 "2004-03-31T16:56:15Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > I’ll just hope this is a whoosh as Montoya’s just playing on your oak tree and dead squirrel. 😕 I hope so too because **TS** ’s post made me pee my mantaloons…WE’re in luck by the way. I found a dead squirrel just this morning on my way in to work. Figures. I don’t see a live one in over a year until this morning, and it’s dead. Must be a sign. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warts/237364.md?page=2)