Warts and verrucae are small lumps that often develop on the skin of your hands and feet.

Warts vary in appearance, depending on where they are on your body and how thick the skin is. Warts can develop in isolation or in clusters and are non-cancerous.

Some warts are more likely to affect particular areas of the body. For example, warts may appear on your hands and fingers.

A verruca is a type of wart which usually develops on the soles of your feet. Verrucae have a cauliflower like surface and sometimes show tiny dark spots which are actually spots of blood. Verrucae have a good blood supply and quite often bleed when being treated.

What causes warts?

Warts are caused by an infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV).

The virus causes an excess amount of keratin, a hard protein, to develop in the top skin layer. The extra keratin produces the rough, hard texture of a wart.

Are warts contagious?

Warts are very contagious, and close skin-to-skin contact can pass on the infection.

The infection can also be transmitted indirectly from contaminated objects or surfaces, such as the area surrounding swimming pool and changing rooms.

Warts are thought to be contagious for as long as they are present on your body. The virus is more likely to spread if the skin is wet, soft or has been in contact with a rough surface.

Warts can also be spread to other parts of your own body.

You can spread the virus if you:

• Scratch, knock or bite a wart
• Bite your nails or suck your fingers (if they have warts on them)
• Shave your face or legs
• Share towels, flannels or other personal items with someone who has a wart or verruca
• Share another person’s socks or shoes (if they have the HPV virus)

After becoming infected, it can take weeks or even months for a wart or verruca to appear.

 

Will my wart or verrucae need treatment?

Warts usually clear up without treatment. However, it can sometimes take up to two years for the HPV virus to leave your system and for warts and verrucae to disappear.

The length of time it takes for a wart to disappear will vary from person to person. They tend to last longer in older children and adults.

In adults and people with a weakened immune system, warts are less likely to clear up on their own or respond well to treatment.

Leaving the wart to get better by itself is one option. However, you may want to consider treatment if your wart is painful, in an awkward position, or is causing you distress or embarrassment.

 

How are warts and verrucae treated?

There are a number of treatments available for warts. However, no single treatment is 100% effective, and sometimes the wart or verrucae may return.

I offer special clinics for the treatment of verrucae and warts including Cryotherapy, please contact me with your special needs.

I also provide clinics for verrucae follow up treatments, which are shorter and deal specifically with the verrucae site.

How to treat a child’s wart or verrucae

As a foot healthcare treat warts and verrucae in children by parring the verruca or wart and applying an application of TT50 verruca cream. This cream contains urea which helps to penetrate the skin and fight the virus that caused the wart – HPV (human papilloma virus).

This treatment can be successful but it does require commitment from the foot health practitioner, the parents and the child. Once treatment commences you will need to self-treat every day and receive professional treatment every one or two weeks.

How to treat an adult’s wart or verrucae

Treatment for adults is similar to the treatment for children with the exception of the medication used and the availability of Cryotherapy. This depends entirely upon the patient’s medical history and is discussed during the initial consultation.

 

Call or email me to discuss your foot health concerns or to make an appointment.

Tel. 01253 891326 or 07939151744

Email: roz@footfocusfootcare.co.uk

If I don’t answer the phone I may be with a client so please leave a message and I’ll come back to you.