Experts give their verdicts on the at-home devices that promise to remove ... trends now
DIY kits are available for removing everything from ear wax to skin tags. But which products are worth trying — and should you really be self-treating anyway? ADRIAN MONTI asked experts to assess a range of kits; we then rated them.
EAR WAX
Qimic Wireless Intelligent Visual Ear Cleaning Rod, £19.99, amazon.co.uk
CLAIM: The size of an electric toothbrush, this has a thin probe with a flexible silicone ear spoon on the tip which scoops out wax.
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘You naturally produce wax, an anti-bacterial substance, to prevent infections and hydrate the skin,’ says Mark Edgar, an audiologist at Hear Me London clinic.
‘You should not put anything into your ear that could push wax farther inside or damage the eardrum. This includes cotton wool buds, but also something like this probe.
‘If you have a build-up of wax, see an ear specialist to have it treated properly. I would not recommend this to anyone.’ 0/10
DIY kits are available for removing everything from ear wax to skin tags. But which products are worth trying — and should you really be self-treating anyway?
WARTS AND VERRUCAS
Scholl verruca and wart complete treatment pen, £14.99, boots.com
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Warts and verrucas — a wart on the sole of the foot — are caused by the human papillomavirus’ 5/10
CLAIM: A pen-shaped applicator dispenses a gel with blue colouring (so it’s not applied to healthy skin in error). The gel causes the skin to thicken and peel off, taking the wart or verruca with it.
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Warts and verrucas — a wart on the sole of the foot — are caused by the human papillomavirus,’ says Dr Faisal Ali, a consultant dermatologist at Spire Manchester and Regency hospitals.
‘It’s a good idea to remove them to prevent transmission to other areas — from your foot to your hand, for example — and spreading them to family members. This pen uses trichloroacetic acid to burn the outer layers of the skin, killing the wart or verruca.
‘UK guidelines recommend salicylic acid, as there is more evidence supporting its use.
‘To my knowledge, trichloroacetic acid has not been compared with salicylic acid, so it’s not clear which is more effective.’ 5/10
Bazuka Sub-Zero, £15.99, superdrug.com
CLAIM: After soaking the foot in warm water, drying and filing the infected area, hold the applicator to the wart or verruca and press to activate a freezing agent. The maker says treatment ‘starts working from the first application’.
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘If left, a verruca will eventually drop off, but people mostly want them treated because they rub on shoes,’ says Matthew Fitzpatrick, a consultant podiatrist at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.
‘Studies show freezing [which causes a reaction in the cells of the verruca or wart, damaging its growth] has a cure rate of up to 70 per cent after three or four treatments, so this is worth trying.’ 8/10
SKIN TAGS
Excilor skin tag removal patch, £17.49, lloydspharmacy.com
CLAIM: A lipstick-sized applicator places a
