Warts and Verruca Removal
Warts and Verrucas are small lumps on the skin that many people will get at some point in their life.
Many people look into wart and verruca removal for a permanent removal solution.
Our clients come to us for removal because they find their warts or verrucae itchy, painful, unsightly or in a place that rubs on clothes causing irritation. Often our clients have tried other methods without success.
Whatever the reason, we can help.
What causes verrucas and warts?
Warts and Verrucae are a common condition that’s caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
They can spread from person to person and from contaminated surfaces or through close skin contact.
You’re more likely to spread a verruca if your skin is wet or damaged, which is why public pools can the perfect environment to catch the virus.
Once a person comes into contact with the virus, it can take months for the verruca or wart to appear. Although warts are most commonly found on the hands, knees and feet, they can appear anywhere.
A verruca is a type of wart found on the sole of the foot.
Types of warts and verrucas
There are four main types of warts. These four types all have a different appearance. While the appearance may be different, they are all caused by the Human Papilloma Virus.
Common Wart (Palmer Wart)
The common wart is firm, round, raised growths with a rough surface, as a matter of fact, they have a similar appearance to small cauliflowers. They are usually the same colour as your skin but can have tiny black dots on the surface.
Common warts are usually found on the hands or knees. They usually grow a few millimetres across but can range from the size of a pinpoint to 1cm across.
Verruca (Plantar Wart)
A verruca is a type of wart found on the soles of the feet. They may have stony black dots in the centre and usually are quite flat. Sometimes, if a person has a cluster of verrucae, they can fuse together to become mosaic warts.
Plane Wart (Flat Wart)
Plane warts are round, smooth growths that are often a yellowish colour. They can be flat or raised. These types of warts are most commonly found on the face, neck and the back of the arms and legs.
Genital Warts
(Please note, we do not treat genital warts, see our FAQs to see the warts we treat)
Genital warts are a different type of wart that is also spread through the Human Papilloma Virus. However, the Human Papilloma Virus that causes genital warts is different from the one that causes other warts.
You can catch Genital warts through sexual contact and are the most common type of sexually transmitted disease (STI) in the UK.
The treatment for genital warts is different from other types of warts, as a result, over the counter treatments do not work for these types of warts.
Symptoms
Many people worry about the appearance of warts and verrucae, however, apart from the appearance, they don’t generally cause any other symptoms.
Some warts and verrucae can be itchy, consequently, they are usually more painful on the feet and around the toe’s nail beds. The pressure that’s applied during walking can be uncomfortable and footwear can cause further discomfort.
Sometimes warts can crack and bleed, although this is more common when the warts are in an area where the clothes rub.
Treatment at Laserase Bolton
We use lasers to remove both warts and verrucas. Lasers work by cutting off the blood supply to the virus to stop it from growing.
The lasers we select for warts and verruca removal will depend on their specific absorption in the deeper layers of the skin.
They are effective for warts on the hands and verrucas on the feet. Once we have treated the condition the lesion will change visibly and then fall off.
FAQs
At Laserase, we use the Regenlite Laser to remove warts.
The Regenlite laser is effective for warts treatment and verruca treatment, more importantly, the laser destroys the blood supply to the wart without causing any damage to the surrounding skin.
This starves the wart of its needed nutrients and eventually causes it to fall off. The laser also breaks down the virus DNA and disperses it into the bloodstream where the immune system attacks and destroys the virus.
We can treat the following successfully:
- Common warts
- Plane warts
- Palmar and plantar warts
The treatment may be painful but it is over very quickly.
We can use ice can to numb the area.
You may need 2-5 treatments.
For very stubborn old warts or verrucae, you may need 5 or more treatments.
The procedure is very quick.
Most appointments will be over in 15 minutes unless you have multiple warts/verrucae.
The area may be purple/black for a few days after treatment. There may be some crusting.
