Curing a Finger Wart - Solutions?

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on various methods for treating finger warts, with participants sharing personal experiences and remedies. Duct tape occlusion therapy is highlighted as a popular method, showing an 85% effectiveness in one study compared to 60% for cryotherapy. Other suggested treatments include the use of "Compound W," which contains salicylic acid, and anecdotal remedies like banana skin and freezing the wart. While some participants reported success with these methods, others noted that professional medical treatments may be necessary for persistent warts.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of wart types and characteristics
  • Familiarity with over-the-counter wart treatments like "Compound W"
  • Knowledge of cryotherapy and its applications
  • Awareness of anecdotal remedies and their scientific backing
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effectiveness of Duct Tape Occlusion Therapy for wart removal
  • Explore the active ingredients in "Compound W" and their mechanisms
  • Investigate professional wart removal options, including cryotherapy and laser treatments
  • Examine the scientific literature on alternative wart treatments and their efficacy
USEFUL FOR

Individuals dealing with persistent warts, healthcare professionals exploring treatment options, and anyone interested in alternative remedies for skin conditions.

wolram
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I have a small wart on one finger, i have had it for years, so anyone have a magic cure?
 
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I heard duct tape.
 
Stick your finger in a cup of liquid N2, and spell your full name backward. Take your finger out and the wart will snap right off!
 
I tried all the conventional cures (none worked permanently) and then my grandma told me banana skin bandaged onto the wart was supposed to help. I was sceptical but tried it and it worked for me!
 
I think Fluoroantimonic acid works very good on those things..
 
Since you are looking for magical remedies :

I guess wikipedia adds some weight to GE's suggestion:

Duct tape occlusion therapy involves placing a piece of duct tape (or medical tape) over the affected area for a week at a time. The procedure is otherwise identical to that of using salicylic acid adhesive pads. One study found that the duct tape method was 85% effective, compared to a 60% success rate in the study's cryotherapy group. Another study, however, found no statistically significant effect. "Whether or not the standard type of duct tape is effective is up in the air," said co-author Dr. Rachel Wenner of the University of Minnesota, who started the new study as a medical student. "Theoretically, the rubber adhesive could somehow stimulate the immune system or irritate the skin in a different manner."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wart#Household_remedies

But just go get it frozen off :-), worked for me.
 
Had one on my knee when I was a younger and cut it off with a razor blade.
 
There was actually an article in the news recently about someone testing duct tape in a controlled trial (not sure if it was double or single-blind, but the subjects weren't aware of the treatment). They said it didn't work. The only caveat is that they used clear duct tape to prevent the subjects from seeing it attached to the band-aids, so left it open that there's a different glue on the traditional gray duct tape that has a different effect than the clear duct tape.
 
Seriously, I have used the product "Compound W" before, and it did work. It took about two weeks, so I'm not too sure if it was psychosomatic or not. It sort of peeled it off bit by bit and ultimately left a hole in my skin, but all is well now; I just use a different finger when I play piano.
 
  • #11
I had one on my finger years ago. Got tired of it and I didn't have health insurance, so I cut it out with a VERY sharp pocketknife. Kinda smarted, but it never came back and the hole healed up after a while.
 
  • #12
Chi Meson said:
Seriously, I have used the product "Compound W" before, and it did work. It took about two weeks, so I'm not too sure if it was psychosomatic or not. It sort of peeled it off bit by bit and ultimately left a hole in my skin, but all is well now; I just use a different finger when I play piano.

It worked for me like that too. The wart turned bright white and crusty, and pieces of it just fell off until it was gone.
 
  • #13
Tom Mattson said:
It worked for me like that too. The wart turned bright white and crusty, and pieces of it just fell off until it was gone.
:bugeye: There are certain parts of the body where you definitely do NOT want to use that then. :eek:
 
  • #14
Evo said:
:bugeye: There are certain parts of the body where you definitely do NOT want to use that then. :eek:
:smile:
I hope I didn't misunderstood this..
 
  • #15
I think you understood, ziad, I think you understood.
 
  • #17
Have you let a doc look at it? Doctors have magical lasers and potions and things that might be able to help you.
 
  • #18
Compound W is pretty effective. The main ingredient is salicylic acid from which acetylsalicylic Acid (aspirin) is derived. It just slowly dissolves the wart.
 
  • #19
Math Is Hard said:
Have you let a doc look at it? Doctors have magical lasers and potions and things that might be able to help you.

for crying out loud what has happened to you MIH, have you been in the biscuit barrel a few to many times

And yes i have seen a doctor, he was as much use as a chocolate
fire guard, he said it is no use cutting it out as it will only come
back.
 
  • #20
wolram said:
for crying out loud what has happened to you MIH, have you been in the biscuit barrel a few to many times

And yes i have seen a doctor, he was as much use as a chocolate
fire guard, he said it is no use cutting it out as it will only come
back.
I cut mine out with a Victorionox 3-blade knife with a really new sharp main blade. There was a little thin white thread at the bottom of the hole that really caught my attention when I removed it. The wart is still gone, though.
 
  • #21
MedlinePlus ( an*NIH site) has a few suggestions for treating common warts.

Over-the-counter medications can remove warts. These are applied to the wart every day for several weeks. DO NOT use these medications on your face or genitals. It helps to file the wart down when damp (for example, after a bath or shower) before applying these medications.

Stronger (prescription) medications may be required for removal of persistent warts. Surgical removal or removal by freezing (cryotherapy), burning (electrocautery), or laser treatment may be needed.

DO NOT attempt to remove a wart yourself by burning, cutting, tearing, picking...

I see many of these treatments have already been mentioned here. I also used an OTC remedy (Compound W) on a wart on my thumb. It sloughed away as Chi described. Besides salicylic acid, it also has acetic acid in there.

Here's some botanical trivia, what common plant(s) contain the methyl-ester of salicylic acid? :rolleyes:

*NIH - National Institute of Health, a US Gov't Agency. Within the NIH, this material comes by way of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
 
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  • #22
wolram said:
for crying out loud what has happened to you MIH, have you been in the biscuit barrel a few to many times
Yes! That's exactly what happened.:biggrin:
And yes i have seen a doctor, he was as much use as a chocolate
fire guard, he said it is no use cutting it out as it will only come
back.

Fair enough. If you'll remind me when it is the next new moon, I will perform a voodoo ritual to remove your affliction.:approve:
 
  • #25
Ouabache said:
Here's some botanical trivia, what common plant(s) contain the methyl-ester of salicylic acid? :rolleyes:
I haven't looked to see what the exact formulation is, but native Americans used willow bark as a pain reliever.
 
  • #26
wolram said:
I have a small wart on one finger, i have had it for years, so anyone have a magic cure?

If everything else fails,you must amputate that finger.:biggrin:
 
  • #27
Math Is Hard said:
hee hee I knew what thread that was going to be before I even clicked on the link. :smile:

I'm predictable...:cry: :cry: :cry:

btw, what is your avatar? It looks kind of like our old fat cat, Dirt.
 
  • #28
Ivan Seeking said:
I'm predictable...:cry: :cry: :cry:

btw, what is your avatar? It looks kind of like our old fat cat, Dirt.

It's a meatball. I'm Meatwad, from the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force. We also have Frylock and Shake running around here. Greg's avatar is one of the characters, also.
 
  • #29
turbo-1 said:
I haven't looked to see what the exact formulation is, but native Americans used willow bark as a pain reliever.

Good guess, as the base compound found in willow bark, is also an analgesic. I believe the active compound in willow bark is salicin an β-glycoside alcohol and cousin to (aspirin) acetyl-salicylic acid. Unfortunately it's not a methyl-ester of salicylic acid.

I was thinking of methyl-salicylate, commonly used in deep heating liniments. It occurs naturally in wintergreen (oil of wintergreen) but also found in http://www.yhc.edu/external/bio/Belebark.jpg (betula oil), and species of http://www.rolv.no/images/planteleksikon/P/pyrola_rotundifolia.jpg. I've found the shiny green leaves of wintergreen on rocky outcroppings here in the northern US, even in the middle of winter (living up to its name). Crushing a leaf or two, in your hand releases the familiar scent of wintergreen.:-p
 
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  • #30
Math Is Hard said:
It's a meatball. I'm Meatwad, from the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force..
Neat you're a shapeshifter..:smile:


Ivan Seeking said:
You could kill the wart by using this:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=21807
I remember that thread. Poof mouse disintegration..
 

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