SKIN & NAILS
What are Warts and Verrucas?
Warts and Verruca are caused by a strain of the human papilloma virus, once this virus is in your system it will stay forever, but may remain dormant. The key difference between a wart and a verrucae is its location – verrucae valgaris (the common wart) is usually found on the top of toes and on hands and fingers whereas verrucae pedis are found on the sole of the foot only.
Causes
This virus is often picked up by going bare foot around swimming pools, public showers, on the school field, or even just by sharing a shower at home with someone else who has one.
The virus gains entry into the skin through micro-openings in the skin. Small cuts, scratches, or open pores after the skin has been soaking in water are all ports for the virus to gain entry.
Symptoms
If you suspect you have a verrucae squeeze the area from the sides, if pain is felt this is a positive sign of a verrucae growing here.
Treatment
Although unsightly verruca are easily treated if caught early– a home remedy of covering the area with masking tape in conjunction with a topical pharmacy treatment for a few weeks can work well.
We recommend visiting us if your verruca is painful, has spread and multiplied, altered in appearance, or if it’s restricting you in your daily activities.
At Inline Podiatry we use two main types of treatments:
1.STRONG ACID-BASED TREATMENTS
Acid-based treatments, which are much stronger than the over-the-counter remedies you can buy, are used to destroy the infected skin. Again, this treatment usually requires several sessions before the verruca is fully destroyed. The procedure is largely painless, although some people may feel a little discomfort in the treated verruca once the acid starts to work.
2.VERRUCA NEEDLING
Verruca needling is a minor surgical procedure that’s carried out under local anaesthetic. It involves puncturing the verruca multiple times using a fine, sterile needle. This brings the virus into direct contact with the fatty tissue beneath the skin, which is rich in immune regulators thus allowing the body’s immune system to recognise and destroy the virus. The advantage of Verruca needling is that it usually only requires a single treatment, although we see you for post-treatment check-ups
Please note no practitioner can guarantee to get rid of your verruca. Because this is a viral infection, all treatments are aimed at inducing your body’s immune response to fight the virus.
