Verruca
What is a Verrucae?
A verruca is also commonly called a plantar wart. Â Â It is an infectious viral infection caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which enters your skin through a scratch or a cut in your foot.
Once the virus has penetrated into a site on your foot there may be no immediate sign of infection. It could take months before a verruca appears. The Virus enters the top layer of your skin, called the epidermis and is pushed into the deeper layer of your skin called the dermis. This is due to pressure going through the sole of your foot when standing/walking. Therefore a verruca will affect the two layers of skin on the sole of your foot.
There are 2 types of Verrucae, you can have a single verruca or a mosaic vurruca. A mosaic verruca is a cluster of verrucae in the one site in your foot, therefore appearing quite big and unsightly.
What does it look like?
Both types of verruca have the same appearance, although the mosaic verrucae tends to be on a grander scale. If you are able to have a really good look at a verruca, you will be able to see the  capillary heads pushed up from the dermis, into the epidermis layer of skin. They look like you have little bits of pepper corn under your skin.
The verruca creates thickened skin to grow over the affected site, which is why some people may think a verruca is a corn at first. The thickened skin can grow very hard and quite bumpy, like the top of a mini cauliflower head!
Also, look at your finger tips and you will see your finger prints. These lines are called striations. If you have a verruca the striations where your verruca will have disappeared. However when your verruca goes away the striation lines will come back again.
How did I get this?
Just like catching the cold from being around someone who has the virus, you can pick up the verruca virus by walking around barefoot, after someone who has a verruca. Popular places to come into contact with the verruca virus are around the swimming pool and public changing rooms. To limit contracting the virus, wear flip flops around the pools and changing rooms.
If you or someone else in your family has a verruca, never share a towel and do not walk barefoot around the house. Verrucaes are contagious!
How do I treat this?
The Podiatrist at the Dubai Podiatry Centre will assess your lesion to determine whether it is a corn or a verruca. If you are diagnosed with a verruca, the Podiatrist will use a treatment called Dermojet. It is the latest in verruca treatment.
Call for an appointment, 04 3435390
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