What
Have you got a painful rough patch on your foot with black dots in the middle? It might feel like you’ve stood on a needle when you walk? Chances are it’s a verruca. Some verrucae will grow in a cluster so you will have many of them in a patch.
They are really annoying things to have but also really common so don’t worry about it but you do need to treat it as it could spread within your family.
Where
Verruca’s will be on your foot, usually on the bottom. They are caused by a virus which then hides from your body so that your body doesn’t see it and then doesn’t get rid of it for you. Verruca’s spread by close contact and also by you walking on a contaminated surface. Wet surfaces make it easier for the virus to spread, this is why swimming pools have such a bad reputation for verrucae. If you have damaged skin then this will also make it more likely that you will pick up a verruca.
Why
Why? There is no why to verrucae- they is no need for them in the world but yet we have them and luckily for you, we have a team of podiatrists that can advise and help you to rid yourself of them. There are shelves full of treatments in your local pharmacy which do work for some but you will need persistence and often daily applications to ensure full eradication of the verruca. The success rate of over the counter remedies in the pharmacy have poor results.
Options
-Homeopathic- we’ve heard it all in clinic. Banana skins, gaffa tape, white spirit, basil oil. These often have a loose connection with a scientific reason of why they will work. Do try them and let us know if you have success. Please make sure you follow the advice below when self-treating your verruca.
-Shop brought- creams and freezing. There’s a whole range of over the counter products available. As we’ve already said be prepared for a few months of dedication to the war with your verruca.
– Stamp out that painful, embarrassing and spreading verrucae for good! Book an appointment. We are here for you if you have one of the stubborn ones, you’ve tried everything we’ve listed above and no success. Or if the list above fills you with dread and you’d rather come and see a professional. We have a couple of treatment options – needling and Swift, we will discuss them with you and advise on what is best for you.
Prevention
Wear flip flops or sliders when you are at a swimming pool, this immediately decreases the amount of contact your foot has with the floor.
We understand that being embarrassed of your feet means you will often not join in the fun or having a painful verruca mean you can’t run or swim, a couple of quick appointments with us and it will be gone for good and you can go back to enjoying life without a dreaded verruca.
