Warts and Verrucas
Warts and verrucas are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The virus penetrates the skin, where it may develop into a wart. Warts on the feet are called verrucas and are harmless, but may be unsightly and occasionally cause pain. Without treatment they usually clear within 6 to 18 months, especially in children.
They can sometimes clear more quickly with some over-the-counter treatments as described below.
Home treatment options a) Products containing Salicylic Acid These have the best success rate and work by removing the hard, dead skin cells. They are readily available from Pharmacies and come with their own instructions.
- Remove the hard skin by soaking the wart and rubbing the dead tissue from the top with a disposable emery board or similar. (The emery board should be discarded to prevent re-infection).
- Covering the treated wart with a plaster may improve results.
- If the surrounding skin becomes sore, stop the treatment for a few days until it settles or use Vaseline around the wart to protect the skin. Then start again.
Perseverance is essential as it may take 12 weeks of daily treatment to work.
b) Duct Tape Occlusion Therapy
A recent study found that covering a wart with strong adhesive (duct) tape seemed to give a good chance of clearing warts within a month or two.
The method described was as follows:
i) | Cover the wart with duct tape for 6 days. If the tape falls off in this time, put a fresh piece on. |
ii) | After 6 days, remove the tape and soak the wart in warm water for 5 minutes. |
iii) | After drying, gently rub with an emery board to get rid of dead tissue from the top of the wart. |
iv) | Leave the wart uncovered overnight and then repeat the process from step one. |
v) | Repeat this whole process for up to two months or until the wart has cleared, whichever is sooner. |
N.B. Do not use this method on the face as it can irritate the skin.
c) Freezing
This has been one of the traditional methods used at GP surgeries in the past. However, recent studies have shown them to be no more successful than the methods described above. In addition, they have longer-lasting and potentially painful side-effects (e.g. pain, inflammation, blistering, nerve damage and changes in skin colour). You can buy over-the-counter freezing products which do not reach the same low temperatures as the Liquid Nitrogen used by nurses/GPs. Although this may reduce the incidence of adverse reactions, it also makes the treatment potentially less effective.
Remember, it is not unusual for a wart to be present for over a year. If it does not clear by itself within two years and the above treatments are unsuccessful, we advise you to see your GP for further discussion.