Are you plagued with a foot full of verruca? Too embarrassed to go to yoga? Wearing your socks to the beach? We get you; verrucae can be embarrassing and uncomfortable.
What is a verruca?
A verruca is a wart on the foot, called a plantar wart. They are bumpy in appearance like a mini cauliflower but flatten from the pressure of walking. They can reach up to ½ inch in diameter or present in clusters of many small verrucae and are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV).
Verrucae are harmless and have no real side effects. Although, sometimes they can cause a slight pain if you get one on a weightbearing area where hard skin can build up. Non weight bearing verrucae lesions do not tend to cause pain.
How did I get a Verruca?
Verrucae are transmitted person to person, HPV likes damp or wet environments, so it’s common to get them from swimming pools and changing rooms that have showers. They can also be transmitted by contaminated objects such as towels, shoes or pumice stones.
Will it go on its own?
Eventually, yes. All verrucae will go in time there is just no guarantee how long that might be. This is because the nature of the virus disrupts skin cells and cloaks them to make your immune system unaware of its existence, sneaky huh!!
What can I do about them?
Leave them be – a very valid option is no treatment at all, especially if they are not bothering you. They can get a build up of callous over the top which can sometimes be uncomfortable, we can remove that painlessly.
Needling – Verrucae needling is when we use an empty sterile needle to penetrate the verrucae evoking an immune response. You can read more about this treatment here.
Swift- Swift is the latest technology in verruca treatment and the most popular option at our clinic. It uses a microwave probe to cause ‘heat shock’ to the area. Read more about this treatment here.
Unfortunately, there is no treatment that can 100% guarantee to completely resolve your verrucae.
Got a question? Want to swift your verruca? Want a chat? Book an appointment.
