What are Warts and Verrucas and what causes them?
These are all caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and can be contagious, i.e. they can be passed from one person to another by contact.
Common Warts
These can be single or can appear in groups or lines. They have a thickened, rough surface which sometimes has black dots in it – the black dots are just tiny blood vessels. They can occur anywhere on the body but are most common on the hands, fingers and around nails.
Plane Warts
These have a flat surface and are skin-coloured or brown. They sometimes occur in groups, often on the wrists, face or knees though they can appear anywhere.
Verrucas
These are just warts on the soles of the feet, and are painful because of the constant pressure of the weight of the body on the feet. They can also occur in groups.
How are Warts and Verrucas removed?
All types of warts are removed by inserting a little probe to the base of the wart i.e. where the blood supply is, and passing heat energy to this area. This seals off the blood supply without which the wart cannot survive. This method of removal is so much more successful than freezing the wart off such as would be done at the doctor, or applying any of the products you can buy to apply to the wart. This is because the root of the wart is treated rather than the surface.