A verruca is actually a viral infection caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV, and it manages to infect the skin and get in through tiny cuts. Verrucae are more common in children and teenagers, but people of any age can get a verruca. The growths that you will notice form on the sole of the foot, and they are most commonly picked up in places where there is a warm and moist atmosphere and plenty of opportunities for bare feet – hence why they are often associated with swimming.
Identifying a verruca is the start of treating it. It can look like a small hard part of the skin, but it can also have tiny black dots in the middle. They can become very painful as they grow inwards and put pressure on the foot. Sometimes you can just have one verruca, but sometimes they form in a cluster – this is known as a mosaic verruca.
So, once you know that you have a verruca how do you get rid of it? Well sometimes they can just go on their own. However, if you are finding it painful, then of course you are likely to want to get rid of it as soon as possible! You can buy over the counter treatments which gradually wear away at the verruca – you do need to be consistent with these treatments and expect them to take a few weeks to work.
Alternatively, you can go to a professional podiatrist like this podiatrist Gloucester based clinic www.propodiatry.co.uk/podiatry/podiatrist-gloucester – they can use special treatments that involve freezing the verruca to get rid of it.
