How To Get Rid of A Verruca

A verruca is a wart on the sole of the foot and unsurprisingly most people who have one want to get rid of it. Not only are they unsightly, but they can also be uncomfortable to walk on. Unfortunately they are also notoriously difficult to shift; this article shows you three methods that are effective at getting rid of verrucas.

The Tape Method

The idea behind the tape method is to gradually rot the verruca away over time, so that over a couple of months of treatment it will have disappeared. All you need is some duct tape and a nail file. Cover the verruca with tape for 6 days, and once the 6 days is up remove the tape and file down the dead tissue. Once you have filed down the verruca, reapply the tape for another 6 days and continue the process. This treatment can take a while to succeed- try it for a couple of months to give it a fair chance of success.

Verruca Creams/Gels

You can but creams and gels for verrucas from a chemist or pharmacy. Each cream will have its own instructions, but most involve daily application and filing down of the verruca after a few days. Salicylic is the active ingredient for most of these creams, which burns away at the verruca. Be careful not to get any on your surrounding skin, as it can be very painful- try applying Vaseline around the verruca to protect your good skin. If you are struggling to choose a good cream, then pick one with a high salicylic acid content- anything approaching 20% is a good option.

Cryotherapy

This involves freezing the verruca, which then tends to fade and die. You can buy home freezing kits, and some people find them very successful. However multiple treatments are often necessary, and it can be quite painful - most kits are unsuitable for young children. Your doctor may be able to offer cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen, which is around three times colder than home treatment kits. Liquid nitrogen tends to be more effective, but again multiple treatments are sometimes required.

Of these three methods, most people tend to find high salicylic acid content creams the best option. They require regular application and lots of patience, but if you keep plugging away at them then you can normally become verruca free within a few months. On the other hand if you want to get rid of verrucas fast, then cryotherapy is probably a better alternative.

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