What are Warts and Verrucas?

Warts are small lumps that often develop on the skin of the hands and feet. They are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which causes the body to produce an excess amount of keratin, a hard protein, which develops in the top skin layer (epidermis). The extra keratin produces the rough, hard texture of a wart.

Warts vary in appearance and may develop singly or in clusters. Some are more likely to affect particular areas of the body. For example, verrucas are warts that usually develop on the soles of the feet.

Warts are non-cancerous but can resemble certain cancers and so the need for a proper diagnosis is very important.

Many people will have warts at some point in their life, but they tend to affect children and teenagers more than adults.

Warts (Verrucas)

The most common wart we treat are ‘plantar warts’ the term is used for those that occur on the soles of the feet (the ‘plantar’ surface). They are commonly known as verrucas. Plantar warts are caught by contact with infected skin scales – for example from the floors of public locker rooms, shower cubicles and the areas around swimming pools. Warts can be highly contagious, they can vary in size, from just a few millimetres to more than one centimetre. They may have a rough surface that protrudes from the skin surface. Close inspection with a magnifying glass may reveal small black dots. Other types of warts are Flat warts, Filiform warts and Periungual warts.

Treatment for warts

Warts may eventually go away by themselves but can takes months or for some people years, during which time they can still be contagious. Many people will go to their GP for a diagnosis and be prescribed topical treatment that have to be used for many months. We offer laser treatment which is a specialised laser that creates heat in the blood vessels that are feeding the wart to destroy it.

Consultation for Wart removal

In the consultation your medical history and the history of the wart will be taken and the wart/s will be assessed and we will advise you if laser wart removal is suitable for you and tell you the cost of the treatment and how many treatments you may require.

How will the Wart or Verruca be removed?

Before the area is treated, we will ask you to prepare it by removing the dead skin surrounding the wart. You will be provided with a pre-treatment advice sheet to follow. One of our trained nurses will use the laser which produces light energy that selectively targets and destroys the blood vessels that nourish the wart, as well as thermally destroying the virus.

*Disclaimer: Results may vary from person to person because each individual responds differently to treatments.

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