Corns and Verrucas

Verruca (plantar warts)

Verrucae are warts that develop on the foot. These warts are caused by a virus (Human Papilloma Virus or HPV) that infects the skin cells and makes the protein in skin (keratin) replicate at a much faster rate that it would do normally. This causes the raised, rough skin, warty lesion that you see.

Verruca can be painful, especially if they are in weight-bearing areas and they can spread to other parts of the foot depending on the type of virus you have.

There are a number of different wart viruses and some spread more readily than others. They commonly occur in children but can occur in adulthood.

Good foot hygiene is essential to stop them spreading to family members. They can be treated by a large number of remedies that can be found in reputable pharmacies and verruca that prove more resistant to self-treatment can be treated by cryotherapy (freezing) using liquid nitrogen. This type of treatment is best provided by qualified Podiatrists/Chiropodists or you may be able to receive this treatment from your GP. It is important to note that verrucae will resolve of their own accord, in time.