Warts & Verrucas

Yes, but you can only pass them on with skin-to-skin contact.

You’re more at risk of catching a wart or verruca if your skin is damaged or wet, for example, in swimming pools and communal spaces.

If you already have the virus in your system, you can spread it to other areas of your body, like if you have warts on your fingers and you bite your nails, this could spread them to your lips.

Warts are caused by a virus known as the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

This virus is present in the skin cells where there is a wart. HPV is a family of viruses that can affect the skin and the moist membranes of the body.

There are over 100 different strains of HPV, with different strains responsible for different types of wart.

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There are a number of different options that will reduce the appearance of verrucas.

However, even if the verruca disappears, no treatment can get rid of them completely - they will simply lie dormant in your body and likely come back.

Cryotherapy is a treatment that uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy the verruca.

The treatment of nitrogen is applied for just a few seconds which will cause a blister to form and scab, which will fall off after 7-10 days. Chemical treatments are available on prescription only, and work to kill skin cells when applied.

You wouldn’t go a week without showering, so we shouldn’t go a week without checking the health of our feet - they work hard carrying us around all day, after all!

Make sure that there aren’t any sores, cuts, swelling or infections, like athlete’s foot or a fungal nail.

Clean them thoroughly when you shower or bathe, but be careful not to dry them out.

Afterwards, lather them in moisturising lotion and trim your toenails if needed, as it can be painful if they get too long and become ingrown.

Finally, always pick comfortable, supportive shoes if you’re on your feet all day.