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Verruca
Verrucae, also known as plantar warts, are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), a highly contagious virus that’s passed on by direct human contact. Infection makes the skin over-grow and thicken, leading to a benign skin growth. The virus thrives in moist, damp environments, such as changing room floors, swimming pools and communal showers - you can catch the virus simply by walking on the same floor as an infected person. It is very common amongst children although anybody can have a verruca.
Please note that we no longer treat verruca at Hanham Foot Health, and treatment options below are for your information only
What can be done about them?
Do nothing
Most verruca will resolve spontaneously without any treatment. This happens when the immune system finally detects the virus and usually happens within 2 years. This is recommended if the verruca is painless and not spreading
Salicylic acid //
A well known treatment (this is what you find in over the counter treatments i.e. Bazuka, Wartner etc.) but podiatrists use a much stronger version and provide up to 6 treatments. This is preferable for children and may be a first line of treatment.
Cryotherapy //
This method delivers a very cold temperature to the affected skin. It uses nitrous oxide freezing to deliver an effective treatment minimising the risk of blistering or scarring. The method of freezing at -89°C is cold enough to destroy skin cells by rupturing the cell membrane, this in turn triggers the body’s own immune system to repair skin and detect the HPV infection.
Needling
This is a treatment that uses a sterile needle to repeatedly puncture the verruca and is performed under local anaesthetic. It causes bleeding and tissue destruction which triggers the body's immune system to fight the verruca virus. It often requires only 1 treatment.
Verrutop
This is a Nitrizinc complex which is applied directly to the verruca, and usually needs several treatments. It works by drying out the infected tissue, which denature the proteins in the virus, allowing the verruca to shrink and fall off.