Plantar Wart (Verruca) Treatment at Pod Fit Podiatry Adelaide
Plantar warts also known as verruca are skin infections that present as one or many lumps on the toes and feet. They are often hard and often painful areas. The virus is spread by direct skin contact which can occur through cuts or grazes with an infected surface, such as a swimming pool. The wart portion that you can see is just the tip of the iceberg – there is a deeper root that extends into the skin which is best treated by Podiatry management.
Warts should be treated if they are painful or getting worse over time. They are common in children and should be treated immediately. Many plantar wart treatment options are readily available in the chemist, however they often fail to work. Failed treatment from chemist solutions can be due to thick overlying skin, irregular self treatments, and low concentration acid solution which doesn’t fully clear the infected skin.
Warts should be treated if they are painful or getting worse over time.
Wart treatments and presentations we see Podiatrists at Pod Fit Podiatry:
What Does A Wart Treatment Involve?
Your Podiatrist will gently shave away the buildup of hard skin around the wart. They will apply cryotherapy (freezing) which involves applying a very cold solution to the wart which is well tolerated. A mild acid (salicylic acid) is coated topically onto the wart with soft padding around the area. This treatment often requires weekly treatments until settled.
Advanced Wart Treatments
When our first line wart treatment at the clinic fails to heal warts, we have Podiatrists who are able to numb the area and apply a dry needling technique for a more intensive treatment approach. Treatment frequency differs between individuals, and usually requires 1-3 treatments for healing of the wart.
Common wart presentations:
Single warts
Multiple (mosaic) warts
Warts that are newly present
Long standing warts present for 6 weeks or greater
Painful lumps of skin on the feet or toes