Nonetheless, it's important to familiarise with the side effects listed in the patient information leaflet provided with your medicine. Warts on the soles of the feet are called verrucas. They’re quite common, as nearly one in three children or young people have them. They may be painful, but usually aren't harmful and generally clear up on their own. Once the irritation has died down, reapply the medicated disc making sure not to apply it to the healthy skin surrounding the wart. Allergic reaction If you are unsure whether Scholl Verruca Removal System is suitable for you, speak to your doctor or ask as pharmacist for advice. Side effects There are many different types of wart. There are differences in how they look and where they’re normally found on your body. We list some of the most common types affecting the skin on your hands, feet and other parts of your body below. We don’t include genital warts here. Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection and are treated differently to the other types of warts. Common wart

This service is not available on the NHS. It is offered as a private (paid for) service by some podiatrists. Specialist treatments You should not apply salicylic acid to the face because of the risk of skin irritation which may cause scarring. There are freezing treatments available over the counter, which you can apply yourself. However, these cannot provide such a cold freeze as liquid nitrogen. They are probably less effective, although again the results of studies are not totally clear. Combined treatment These are firm, raised growths with a rough surface – they might look like a very small cauliflower. They’re normally greyish-white or light brown, and usually a few millimetres across. This type of wart is most commonly found on your hands, fingers or knees. Verruca (plantar wart)Some wart and verruca treatments you can buy over the counter from a pharmacy or shop. You apply these yourself at home. Other wart removal treatments are carried out by a GP or specialist doctor. Wart and verruca creams and gels Freezing warts may also be effective. Many GPs and practice nurses are skilled at this. You can also get private treatment with cryotherapy from podiatrists. Liquid nitrogen is commonly used. The nitrogen is sprayed on or applied to the wart. Liquid nitrogen is very cold and the freezing and thawing destroys the wart tissue. To clear the wart fully it can need up to 4-6 treatment sessions, sometimes more. Each treatment session is a couple of weeks or so apart. Freezing treatment can be painful. Sometimes a small blister develops for a day or so on the nearby skin after treatment. Also, there is a slight risk of scarring the nearby skin or nail or damaging underlying tissues such as tendons or nerves. It is not suitable for younger children or for people with poor circulation. Many of these treatments contain an ingredient called salicylic acid. This is a chemical that helps to break down the skin on your wart or verruca. This triggers your immune system to clear the virus. It may provide some help in getting rid of warts or verrucas. If you decide to try a salicylic acid preparation, the following tips may help. Verrucas often clear up by themselves but treatment is the preferred option if the verruca is embarrassing, painful or causing a great deal of distress. See your GP if your verruca bleeds, has changed size or shape or you have a weakened immune system.

Again, the studies done on freezing treatment vary considerably in their results. Some seem to show it is more effective than salicylic acid; others show it does not have any convincing benefit. It is certainly more expensive than salicylic acid, however. Therefore many NHS services, such as some GP practices, no longer offer it as an option. This is because salicylic acid is cheaper and the evidence that it works is more convincing.There is a slight risk of malignancy in a verruca or wart but this is very rare. Preventing verrucas If you have diabetes or poor circulation, you should use salicylic acid only on the advice of a doctor. The chance of infection increases if your child’s skin is wet or damaged. After becoming infected, it can take weeks or sometimes months for a verruca to appear.

Never share your medicines with anybody else, even if they are experiencing the same symptoms or have been diagnosed with the same condition. You MUST NOT apply salicylic acid to the facebecause of the risk of skin irritation which may cause scarring, or damage to eyesight if it is gets in eyes Your dermatologist may suggest various different options for wart removal. These include stronger medications that you either take by mouth, apply to your skin or are injected into the wart. Paints, gels and plasters containing salicylic acid are available from pharmacists (see further down in this leaflet for advice on how to use salicylic acid)You need to apply it each day for up to three months. Persevere - if you give up too soon, it will not work. A good example of this is a damp floor in a communal changing area such as a swimming pool. Someone with a verruca walks across this floor in bare feet which enables the spot to release virus infected cells onto this surface. Another person then walks across the infected surface which is then transferred to their foot and result in the development of a verruca.

Dermatology. Oxford handbook of general practice. Oxford Academic. academic.oup.com, published online June 2020It causes minimal tissue inflammation and has a high success rate. In studies, Swift successfully cleared more than 3 out of 4 long-lasting, stubborn warts which hadn't responded to previous treatment. You may only need one treatment, but up to 70% of verrucas respond in 1-3 treatments. You may need to use the treatment daily for up to three months. If your wart is becoming very sore though, stop the treatment for a few days and then restart. Before applying the salicylic acid, rub off the dead tissue from the top of the wart, with an emery file (or similar). Treatment can cause pain, inflammation and the formation of blisters around the infected area. Plus verrucas do not respond well to treatment in people with a compromised immune system due to a serious illness, e.g. cancer. If you have a wart or verruca, taking the following measures may help to stop it spreading to other people.