When you think of warts, what comes to mind? Some people might conjure up an image of a wicked witch with a wart on her nose or immediately remember to avoid toads at all costs to prevent warts suddenly appearing on their hands. Contrary to old folklore did you know that warts can appear on your feet too? These are called verrucas, and while warts can be frightening to some people, they are actually very common. You don’t even have to venture into the land of once upon a time to find the magic potion to treat them. If you’re wondering how to get rid of verrucas, keep reading.

What causes verrucas?

Before giving you tips about how to get rid of verrucas, it’s important to know what causes them. Old tales will tell you to stay clear of toads or watch out for magic potions, but in this day and age Verrucas are caused by an infection by the human papilloma virus, or HPV. There are more than 100 different strains of HPV. Different strains are responsible for the different types of warts. The virus causes an excessive amount of the hard protein keratin to develop, which in turn produces a rough, hard texture in the form of a verruca.

The virus is more likely to spread when your skin is soft or wet. Verrucas can be contracted by close skin-to-skin contact and through indirect contact such as at swimming pools or from the surfaces of communal changing areas. They can also spread to other parts of your body.

What do verrucas look like?

In order to work out how to get rid of verrucas, you will need to make sure that is the type of wart you have. Verrucas will typically develop on the soles of your feet. Symptoms may include:

• Rough, raised skin
• White in colour, often with a black dot in the centre, which is the blood vessel
• Pain due to your body weight adding pressure on the verruca

How to get rid of verrucas

Often people wonder if they need to seek treatment for their verrucas or simply wait and hope they go away on their own. While they may clear up on their own you can be rid of them much more quickly by seeking treatment. There are a variety of treatment options available including freezing the wart off (cryotherapy), the application of chemicals, or surgery.

The chiropodists and podiatrists at Beauchamp Foot Care have more than 20 years of experience treating foot conditions like verrucas. They are happy to discuss the various options to find the best method of treating verrucas so your feet can live happily ever after. Book an appointment with one of our practitioners today.