What Are Verrucas?
Verrucas, also known as plantar warts, are small, rough growths that appear on the soles of the feet. In some cases, verrucas can be painful when pressure is applied to them, such as when walking or standing.
What Do Verrucas Look Like?
Verrucas usually appear as small, rough growths on the soles of the feet. They can range in size from a pinhead to a pencil eraser and often have a rough, uneven texture. Verrucas may be flesh-coloured, or slightly darker and can have tiny black dots in the centre.
Is It a Verruca?
If you have growth on the sole of your foot that meets the following criteria, it is likely a verruca:
- Small in size (ranging from pinhead to pencil eraser)
- Rough and uneven texture
- Flesh-coloured or slightly darker
- Tiny black dots in the centre
- Pain when pressure is applied
- Surrounded by a thickened area of skin
What Causes Verrucas?
Verrucas are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus can be spread from person to person through direct contact or indirectly through contaminated surfaces.
Factors that increase the risk of developing verrucas include walking barefoot in public places such as swimming pools or locker rooms, having a weakened immune system, and having a history of verrucas.
Verrucas are also more common in children and young adults.
How to Treat Verrucas at Home
There are a variety of over-the-counter treatments available for verrucas, and you’ll be able to find these at your local pharmacy:
- Creams: Regularly applied directly to the verruca to soften its hard outer layer, until the verruca disappears completely
- Sprays: Freeze the verruca, causing the cells to die and the verruca to fall off naturally
- Plasters: Contain salicylic acid to break down the verruca and stimulate the growth of new skin
These treatments can take several weeks to several months to complete depending on the severity of the verruca.
Get Better with Healthera
If you’re currently suffering from verrucas, you may not feel comfortable walking to your closest pharmacy.
Use your Healthera app to navigate to the “Foot Care” section of the “Pharmacy Shop” to purchase foot care items directly from your local pharmacy for home delivery (or collection).
To get started, simply click the button below:
