What is a Verruca?

A verruca is a wart on the foot, you can get these at any age and come in a range of shapes sizes and different textures.

What does a Verruca look like?

It looks like a round lump with a cauliflower like appearance. When on a weight bearing area, it may be flattened with the appearance of a rough surface. Sometimes, it may have little black dots in the centre. You might have one or a cluster of these on your foot, which can vary in size.

Can anybody get a Verruca?

It is more common in children and young people. Some people get them easily and others never do. You are more likely to get a verruca if you go to places where people walk around barefoot in wet areas. Swimming pools, bathrooms, communal areas.

Does it hurt?

A verruca, like other warts, are generally painless however; hard skin may build up over the area and cause pain. A verruca may also be painful if it’s in a place where it gets rubbed, such as between the toes.

How do I avoid other people catching my verruca?

Do keep it covered with a waterproof plaster.

Don’t share a towel or walk around with bare-feet.

How do I treat the verruca?

If it’s not painful it’s usually a good idea to leave it alone. Some may take longer to disappear than others and the older you are, the longer they are likely to stay. The average lifespan of a verruca is two years. Sometimes treatment can increase the risk of the verruca spreading or becoming more painful. If your verruca is painful, it may be worth trying to treat it but unfortunately there is no treatment that is guaranteed to cure it.

What verruca treatments are available?

We recommend following one of the options below for at least six months:

• Daily filing with a foot file or pumice stone to keep the hard skin over the verruca down; the inflammation encourages your immune system to fight the verruca.
• Occlusion (blockage) Keep the verruca constantly covered with duct tape for every day for seven days. In the evening of the last day, take the tape off and file with a foot file or pumice stone. Leave the tape off for one night and then start the process again.
• Treatment containing salicylic acid, silver nitrate, cryotherapy is available in the clinic.
• Spirularin cream for young children is also available to purchase at the clinic.

It is also important to eat a healthy, well balanced diet to help your immune system.

We will go through your treatment plan with you to ensure that we get the best out of your appointments with the treatments we provide.

Please be mindful when purchasing anything over the counter as this may cause more harm than good.