Verrucas are really common – name one kid at school that didn’t have one. This is because they are incredibly contagious, they’re everywhere. But how do you treat them, get rid of them, finally remove them? This article will ‘walk you’ through the top 5 ways to get rid of a verruca pun intended.
Verrucas are a type of wart that appears on the soles of the feet. They’re caused by the HPV virus (human papillomavirus) and are most commonly located on the ball of the foot. They can have tiny black dots in the centre of them and usually appear flat because of the weight put on them. Verrucas are known as plantar warts which can cluster together to form mosaic warts ( which are not as beautiful as they sound)! They don’t cause any harm but people can find them itchy, painful, or just plain embarrassing.
So how do you get rid of them? By far the most effective way of removing a verruca is by Verrutop solution applied by a professional Podiatrist/Chiropodist, During the 3-6 treatments, the solution reacts with the verruca to mummify the tissue. The cells underneath then renew and the verruca simply falls off. If you want more information, head over to our verruca removal page, Pros:
The fastest way to remove a verruca.It’s pain-free.It’s 90% effective on people who have between 3 and 6 treatments.For adults and children.Doesn’t damage skin.
Cons:
Requires 3-6 treatments.
Another effective way of removing a verruca is by verruca needling (also known as dry needling). It’s a small, painless procedure that uses a fine needle to push infected cells into the skin underneath the verruca. This triggers an immune response from your body to destroy the verruca. Pros:
Few number of treatments needed. Very effective from research. Non-painful.
Cons:
Most expensive.
Salicylic acid is an ingredient commonly found in over-the-counter pharmacy verruca removal creams, gels, and medicated plasters. It softens the hard outer layer, allowing the medication to break down verruca over time. The most effective way to use salicylic acid is via a Podiatrist who can use high concentrations to get even better results.
- Tips for the most effective treatment include soaking the verruca and removing excess hard skin with a nail file or pumice stone before applying the salicylic acid.
- Once the treatment is dry, cover the verruca with a plaster or tape.
- Always follow the instructions carefully and try not to touch healthy skin with the medication as this can cause irritation.
Pros:
Readily available. Well researched, Highly effective if used via a Podiatrist / Chiropodist.
Cons:
Can take weeks to work if over-the-counter concentration used. Needs daily treatment if over-the-counter concentration used.
Contents
How do you remove a verruca at home?
Cover your wart or verruca with duct tape for six days. If it falls off, just replace it with a new piece. On the seventh day, remove the tape, soak the wart in water and rub with an emery board or pumice stone. Keep the wart uncovered overnight and re-apply fresh duct tape the next day.
Do verrucas go away on their own?
How to stop warts and verrucas spreading – Warts and verrucas are caused by a virus. They can be spread to other people from contaminated surfaces or through close skin contact. You’re more likely to spread a wart or verruca if your skin is wet or damaged. It can take months for a wart or verruca to appear after contact with the virus.
Can you cut a verruca out?
How to get rid of a verruca at home – It is possible to attempt to remove a verruca at home; however, you could cause further damage to the skin or even cause an infection, so it is not necessarily the best way to get rid of verrucas. Nevertheless, if you do want to try to remove warts or verrucas at home, you will need the following:
A footbath (for soaking your feet) Foot scrub (sugar and soap can be used instead) Tweezers Pumice stone, nail file or emery board (optional) White vinegar (optional).
Soak your feet in warm water for around 15 minutes to soften the skin and make it easier to remove the wart. Dry your feet thoroughly before starting this process. You can apply white vinegar to the area if available because it helps dry out warts faster; however, it is not essential.
- A scrub can be used to exfoliate excess hard skin, which also removes some of the verruca.
- Pumice stones or nail files can be used on the verruca but not on surrounding healthy skin as this may cause scarring or bleeding.
- Pull off any dry pieces of skin with the tweezers.
- If you have an older verruca that is difficult to remove, soak it in white vinegar for around 5 minutes.
Repeat until all of the verruca has been removed. Apply antiseptic cream to reduce inflammation and prevent infection. If you are unsuccessful at pulling out a verruca using these steps, seek treatment advice from your local GP.
What kills verrucas fast?
School swimming lessons may be a distant memory, but verrucas are still very much with us. The best verruca treatments will work quickly to blitz warts on your hands as well as verrucas on your feet, and can also help obliterate corns and calluses. Most verruca treatments fall into one of two categories: acid gels, which contain salicylic or similar acid to remove the dead skin that forms in thick layers on top of a verruca, or cryotherapy foams, which freeze and kill the verruca from the inside.
Can toothpaste get rid of verrucas?
It is observed that toothpaste can make warts slowly dry out by cutting off the oxygen supply. Though toothpaste is one of the popular home remedies for getting rid of warts, it is advised to not use toothpaste on your warts because it can do more harm than good by irritating your skin.
Some people have reported warts getting smaller by applying toothpaste on them. They suggest applying a non-gel toothpaste on the wart, covering it completely with a band-aid or duct tape, and keeping it overnight. The procedure may be repeated multiple times until warts are completely removed. It is observed that toothpaste can make warts slowly dry out by cutting off the oxygen supply.
A detergent called sodium dodecyl sulfate, which is a common ingredient in toothpaste, helps in getting rid of warts.
What is the lifespan of a verruca?
Some may take longer to disappear than others and the older you are, the longer they are likely to stay. The average lifespan of a verruca is two years. Sometimes treatment can increase the risk of the verruca spreading or becoming more painful.
Does a verruca mean I have HPV?
What you need to know about verrucae Verrucae are warts that occur on the feet. They are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and there are many different strains. They may occur as single or multiple growths affecting the feet (and hands). Verrucae are one of the most common infections of the skin.
Can you pull the root out of a verruca?
Do verrucas have roots? This is one of the most searched for questions in Google when looking at problems related to feet. The simple answer is no. Verrucae and warts do not have roots. So, why is then that people believe that they have? Is it the verruca’s reluctance to budge when being treated, which implies it has deep down roots; roots which anchor it firmly in the skin.
Could it be the small visible black dots which bleed on reduction, or the warty filamentous desiccated coconut texture? There are so many myths and misconceptions regarding verrucae and warts. It is hard to find where this particular myth originated from. The notion of verrucae roots is rooted in folklore more than science.
More than likely comes from the fact they are a struggle to get rid of. They seem to be so deep rooted within the skin. Patients often comment too, that corns have roots; “Please can you get to the root of it”. Getting to the root is a turn of phrase, which overtime the public has translated to be fact.
What does a deep verruca look like?
Identify – Verrucas are warts on the sole of the foot, commonly referred to as ‘plantar warts’. Verrucas range in size from 1mm to over 1cm. They usually grow deep into the skin, appearing as areas of flat, thicker skin with a harder edge around a softer centre.
Do verrucas leave a hole?
Stay calm, though, even though the hole looks painful, it usually is not as what you are seeing is clean, new skin that has grown around the dead virus. Within a few days the foot should completely heal and the hole will have faded to a distant, unsettling memory.
How deep can a verruca go?
How Deep Do Verrucas Go? – Verruca can typically grow up to half an inch in diameter and can be pushed inwards by the weight of your body as they grow, ending up with several millimeters of wart pressing into the foot.
Is it embarrassing to have a verruca?
Tincture of time! – Verruca’s are rarely a serious problem, and many people choose not to treat them, as the treatment can be more uncomfortable than the verruca itself. If left to regress on their own, there will be no scarring. Up to 65% of viral warts will resolve on their own without treatment within 2 years of appearing.
Should I be worried about a verruca?
Are they serious? – Verrucae are harmless but can be uncomfortable and painful if they develop on a weight bearing part of the foot. In addition, hard skin (callus) can form over the top of the verruca, increasing the discomfort in this area. There are also some strains of the virus that spread very quickly and can look unsightly.
What does a dead verruca look like?
When it’s dead, it will have a black appearance as the blood supply has been cut off from the area. What happens if a verruca is left untreated? In most cases, an untreated verruca will clear over time and not cause any more problems, however, you may find that they continue to cause you pain.
How do you get rid of a verruca overnight?
Simple and Strange At-Home Treatments for Verruca Removal 
If you have warts on the bottom of your feet, commonly known as verrucas, you probably just want to be rid of them. Sometimes they can be painful, embarrassing or just plain annoying. If you’re desperate to find the best treatment for verruca removal you’ve probably started searching on the internet.
- You’ll find all kinds of crazy ideas out there.
- So we’ve done a bit of research for you to help educate you about simple do-it-yourself at home treatments other people have tried and some that seem just plain strange.
- Some of the over-the-counter remedies you can get at the pharmacy may be effective in treating small verrucas.
The kind that works the best for verruca treatment contain, which essentially burns off the top layer of the verruca.
Does clear nail polish remove verrucas?
At-Home Wart Removal Options –
Salicylic acid: Considered the most effective at-home wart removal treatment, salicylic acid is available over-the-counter as a concentrated liquid, gel or adhesive pad. For the best results, talk to a dermatologist about the type and strength you should use. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice: These mild acids burn off the wart and attack the virus that caused it. Soak a cotton ball in two parts apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and one part water. Tape the cotton ball over the wart overnight. Repeat nightly until the lesion is gone. Garlic extract: The antiviral properties of garlic help it remove warts effectively. Place crushed garlic cloves on the wart and wrap with a bandage. Reapply daily, filing down the lesion between each application. Duct tape: This unconventional method works by removing warts one layer at a time. Start by placing a small piece of duct tape on the wart, and leave it there for three to six days. Then, remove the tape and scrape down the lesion with a pumice stone or nail file. After leaving your skin exposed to the air for 12 hours, reapply the duct tape for another three to six days. Keep repeating until the wart is completely gone. Clear nail polish: This method is thought to suffocate the wart. Apply clear nail polish every other day for two weeks to see the results take effect. Liquid butane spray: This technique kills the wart tissue and freezes it off. Before you try it, be aware that liquid butane spray is painful for some people and may not be as effective as professional freezing methods.
What makes verrucas disappear?
How did I get that pesky verruca and what are they? Verruca are warts that are commonly found on the soles of the feet. They are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and are passed from person to person. The virus will usually enter through a cut, scratch or area of dry skin on your foot.
- Are Verrucae serious? They are harmless but can sometimes be painful if they form on a weight bearing area.
- In these areas callus can form over the top of the verruca causing discomfort.
- How do I treat my Verruca? In many cases, verrucae will disappear without treatment once the immune system recognizes the virus and fights the infection.
However, this can take many months or even years. Letting your body deal with the verruca is the safest course of action. You may choose to throw a myriad of treatments at the verruca but the fact is this virus is very clever and hides itself from the body’s immune system very very well, and if it cant be detected the immune system can’t launch a fight against it.
What if I want to try to get rid of my Verruca? The only way that a verruca is going to disappear is if every single infected skin cell is killed. The body needs to produce enough antibodies to kill every infected cell. Treatments try to stimulate this response, however, there is no such thing as a guaranteed cure.
Trust me when I say if I had a pound for every time a patient asked which treatment works or how long will it take to go, I’d be a very rich lady. The fact is both of these are million dollar questions and anyone who claims to have an exact answer is not being entirely truthful.
Do nothing
If the verruca is not painful or having any psychological impact then it is best left alone for the immune system to deal with it.
Over the Counter Preparations
There is a bewildering array of products on the market, some with unsubstantiated and misleading claims. None are proven to work and it can be a bit of a ‘lucky dip’.
Stimulating the Immune System
Your Podiatrist can debride the verruca with a scalpel, the lesion will bleed at this point, but this is essential to stimulate a cell mediated immune response. You should rebook with your Podiatrist every 4 weeks for assessment and scalpel debridement of your verruca.
Acid Based Treatments
Your podiatrist can apply a caustic (stronger than over the counter preparations) inside a small felt ring stuck to the verruca. The caustic hyper-hydrates the verruca cells causing them to burst and die. This method is usually painless but does require that the dressing is kept dry for 3 to 5 days after every treatment.
Cryotherapy
This involves freezing the verruca with liquid nitrogen or nitrous oxide. This needs to be done at 3 weekly intervals over a few months until the verruca has healed. This treatment can be very painful and can lead to soreness and blistering in some people.
Needling
The foot will be anaesthetized by using an ankle block. A hypodermic needle is then used to repeatedly puncture the verruca to provoke an immune response. The foot is dressed after treatment. More than one needling session is sometimes required. Again as with all verruca treatments, a cure cannot be guaranteed, but needling has been shown to reduce pain levels in verruca lesions or at least reduce them in size.
How do you get rid of a verruca forever?
Treatment – The treatment for corns and verrucas is very different and often what appear to be a stubborn verruca is really a corn so no amount of verruca treatment will remove it. Treatments for corns and calluses include removing the cause of pressure or friction and hard skin removal.
How do you get rid of a verruca fast naturally?
Natural treatment for verruca Verrucae are one of the more common things I have enquiries about in my Foot Health practice, which is hardly surprising as they are one of the most common problems people encounter on their feet. Here’s the thing. In my opinion, no one should ever have to pay money for someone to treat a verruca. 
Verrucae are a virus, much like a common cold. Once you have caught a verruca, most commonly during childhood, the virus will continue to live in your system until you die. You cannot kill a verruca, so there is little point going to great lengths in order to do so.
- There are, however things you can do to encourage them to go away.
- Firstly, it is important to remember that if you are getting verrucae as an adult, it is a sign that your immune system is weak and you may be run down.
- So eat healthily, drink plenty of water, and make sure you are getting plenty of rest.
The best natural treatment for verruca is to make your body so healthy they cannot thrive in it. One of the best home treatments for verrucae is tea tree oil. If you paint some tea tree on any and all verrucae on your feet, morning and evening, it does seem to discourage them from hanging around too much.
- You have to be absolutely fanatical about this, painting them twice a day until all signs of verrucae are gone.
- This is what I advise my clients to do, and it seems to work very well.
- Most people who try this natural treatment for verruca find that it works with two or three months.
- Occasionally you might have a verruca which is so large, and so inconveniently placed on the sole of the foot that it becomes really painful to walk on.
In these cases, clients can come and see me in the clinic, where I will file away any hard skin that has built up around the offender, and then carefully reduce some of the bulk of the verruca itself. It is not very common to have a verruca this problematic, and nine times out of ten, I would say it is completely possible to treat verrucae at home, following the treatment I have outlined above.
What does a verruca look like when it comes out?
What does a verruca look like? It looks like a round lump with a cauliflower like appearance. If it is on a weight bearing area it may be flattened with a rough crumbly surface. Sometimes, it may have little black dots in the centre.
