Most of us will get a verruca or wart at least once in our life, usually before the age of 20. More than one in ten people in the UK have a verruca or wart at any one time and nearly half wait at least three months before taking any action.1 This can make them painful and harder to get rid of, so identifying them and treating them promptly is key.
Verrucas appear on your feet, most often on the sole of the foot. They have tiny black dots under the hard skin and range in size from 1mm to over 1cm. They usually grow deep into the skin and appear as areas of flat, thicker skin with a harder edge around a softer centre. They have a rough surface and are surrounded by a raised edge.
Warts are small, skin-coloured excess growths of skin. They feel firm and rough and can appear on palms, knuckles, knees and fingers. They can be as small as 1mm or as big as 1cm in diameter and can occur on their own or in clusters.
Normally warts are not harmful, but some people find them itchy, painful or embarrassing. Verrucas are more likely to be painful – like standing on a needle.2
Corns and calluses are areas of hard, thickened skin that develop when the skin is exposed to excessive pressure or friction. They commonly occur on the feet, but could occur anywhere, particularly on the palms of hands or knuckles.
It can take weeks, or even months, for a verruca or wart to appear after an initial infection with a type of virus called human papilloma (HPV). This time between infection and the onset of symptoms is known as the incubation period.3
HPV is more likely to be transmitted if a sufferer’s skin is wet, soft or in contact with rough surfaces. Some children have trouble not scratching or biting warts on their hands, which can cause the warts to bleed and split, making them more contagious.
That’s why it’s important to Bazuka that verruca or wart to help stop it from spreading!
Verrucas and warts, your handy step-by-step guide.
Here’s how you can identify verrucas and warts.
Verrucas grow on your feet. They range in size from 1mm to over 1cm. They appear as flat thicker skin with a hard edge around a softer centre. They have a rough surface, and are surrounded by a thin collar of dense skin. They might also have a pepper-pot appearance. And they can appear on their own or in clusters.
Warts are similar, but mostly grow on your hands. Like verrucas they range in size. They are small rough excess growths of skin, sometimes with small black dots. These are tiny blood clots. Like verrucas they occur on their own, or in clusters.
For more information ask your pharmacist or visit bazuka.co.uk. Learn how to treat with Bazuka gels in our second handy step by step guide.
