Verruca FAQs

General questions about verrucas

What are verrucas?

Verrucas are contagious, but usually harmless, warts and plantar warts that appear on the feet.

Where do you get verrucas?

Verrucas generally appear on the toes or the soles of the feet. On the toes, they’re typically raised, with a rough, cauliflower-like appearance.

Verrucas on the sole of the foot are also known as plantar warts. They tend to be flat, due to pressure from standing on them, and they can be mistaken for corns or hard skin.

What causes verrucas?

Verrucas are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).

They appear on the feet when the virus enters the skin’s top layer. This might be through small cuts in the skin of the feet, or when the skin gets wet and softens.

The virus thrives in warm, damp conditions and spreads via contact with infected surfaces. You’re most likely to get verrucas from walking barefoot in shared areas, like swimming pool changing rooms, gym locker rooms, and communal showers.

Are verrucas painful?

Verrucas can be painful to stand and walk on if they’re on a weight-bearing area of your foot, like the ball or heel. Patients describe the pain as like having a small piece of gravel in their shoe.

How to identify a verruca

It’s best to catch and treat verrucas early, so they don’t have the chance to embed too deeply under the skin.

But many people miss the signs. This is because early stage verrucas may not be painful and can easily be mistaken for corns or small patches of hard skin.

How long does it take for a verruca to appear?

It can take months for a verruca to appear after you’ve been exposed to the virus.

What are the beginning verruca stages?

If you notice a new patch of rough skin on the sole of your foot, take a closer look. If it’s a verruca, the natural lines in your skin will be disrupted.

While corns are painful when you press them directly, verrucas tend to be painful if you squeeze them from the sides.

What does a verruca look like?

A more developed verruca looks like a patch of hard skin with a small black dot, or dots, in the centre. These aren’t ‘roots’, but tiny blood vessels under the skin.

Is it true that most verrucas go away on their own?

Yes, occasionally verrucas can go away on their own. But this can take months — or even years.

Leaving a verruca untreated will allow it to mature. At this point it can spread into clusters, which will be even more painful.

Mature verrucas are also more contagious, so there’s a greater risk of spreading them to other people.

This is why it’s often more sensible to get them treated.

Do verrucas hurt when they are dying?

As verrucas die and the skin heals, the pain should gradually ease off until it disappears completely.

How do you know when a verruca has gone?

When verrucas die, they shrivel and darken. The skin will start to heal and any dead skin on the surface will naturally peel away.

During this phase, it’s important to keep the area clean and protected so it doesn’t get reinfected.

When the verruca has completely gone, the skin will return to its normal texture and colouring.

How to get rid of verrucas fast

The fastest way to get rid of a verruca is to see a foot care specialist.

Home remedies can take up to three months of daily applications and, even then, there’s a chance they might not work.

Foot care specialists have access to stronger and more effective treatments than you can buy over the counter, which means you could see results more quickly.

Can you get rid of verrucas overnight?

No. Effective verruca removal typically takes several weeks or months.

Why are some verrucas so difficult to remove?

A verruca can be harder to remove if it’s on a weight-bearing part of your foot and has been there for some time.

Pressure on the verruca from standing and walking causes it to grow inwards. Over time, it can grow deeper into your foot, which can make treating it a more difficult and lengthy process.

If you have a stubborn verruca and home remedies haven’t worked to remove it, a specialist foot clinic can provide more effective treatments.

What verruca treatments are available at Hatt Clinic?

Hatt Clinic’s foot care team can offer some of the most advanced verruca treatments currently available.

Swift microwave verruca treatment

Swift is a non-invasive verruca treatment that works in two ways. First, by using targeted microwave energy to destroy the infected cells. Then, by triggering your body’s own immune system to fight the underlying virus.

With four sessions over 12 weeks and a success rate of around 80%, it’s our fastest and most effective verruca treatment.

Here’s why our podiatrists recommend it.

Verrutop verruca treatment

Verrutop is a non-invasive, topical verruca treatment, which is applied to the affected skin. It works by dehydrating and drying out the verruca, so it detaches itself from the healthy skin around it.

This treatment requires four sessions over 16 weeks and has a 75%+ success rate.

Silver nitrate verruca treatment

Silver nitrate is a pain-free verruca treatment with a low complication rate and is very effective for young children.

The treatment needs up to four sessions in the clinic, with at-home treatments in between. Treatment can take up to 16 weeks and has around a 45% success rate.

How to stop a verruca from spreading

To reduce the risk of spreading a verruca to yourself or others:

• Keep the area clean and change socks daily
• Wash your hands immediately after touching it
• Wear a plaster or verruca sock when swimming
• Avoid sharing shoes, socks and towels
• Wear flip-flops in communal spaces
• Don’t pick the verruca or try to remove it yourself.

Treating verrucas at home

You’ll always get the best care and treatments from a foot care specialist, but if you’d prefer to treat your verruca yourself, your pharmacist will be able to advise you.

Can you treat verrucas at home?

There are a number home verruca treatments you can buy over the counter.

Most home verruca treatments use salicylic acid to break down the verruca or a form of cryotherapy to freeze it. But these treatments can irritate your skin and don’t always work to get rid of the verruca.

If the verruca is stubborn and home treatments aren’t working, a foot care specialist will be able to help.

Can you remove a verruca root at home?

No. There is no root to remove and verrucas can’t be cut out.

The black dots in the centre of the verruca are small blood vessels. Trying to cut or pull them out can cause bleeding, infections and scarring. It can also cause the virus to spread, creating painful clusters of verrucas.

What happens if you pick a verruca?

Picking a verruca will only make it worse.

If you damage the skin, you risk infection and scarring. Picking the verruca can also cause the virus to multiply into clusters.

Book a podiatry appointment at Hatt Clinic

If you have a verruca, or think you might have a verruca, it’s best to take early action and book an appointment to see a foot care specialist.

Your foot care specialist will be able to diagnose the verruca and recommend the best treatment for you.

If you have a verruca, but feel too embarrassed to see a foot care specialist, this article should give you the reassurance to book an appointment and get the support you need.

We offer podiatry services at all three of our clinics, in Devizes, Frome and Marlborough.

To book an appointment online, visit our online booking page and select initial chiropody/podiatry from the menu.

Alternatively, you can email us at: enquiries@hattclinic.co.uk

Or call your nearest clinic:

Devizes: 01380 730473

Frome: 01672 516580

Marlborough: 01373 452604