Verruca Pedis / Warts
Verrucae/warts are caused by a virus (human papilloma II virus). The virus cannot be seen but make changes to the skin and what you see is a verruca/wart. There are many different types of HPV II virus that cause warts and Verrucae. The virus is commonly caught in communal areas such as changing rooms, showers and swimming pools. The skin is a protective organ in itself but any areas of damage such as a scratch or where the skin is dry, cracked or macerated then the virus can penetrate the skin and a wart can develop. The immune system should eventually kick in and attack the wart/Verrucae virus but this doesn’t always happen and often it can be due to the immune system not realising a wart virus is in the system. It is common for warts to develop when the immune system is running low or compromised, during times of stress (changing school, exams etc) and during pregnancy.
All the usual treatment options are focused on destroying the surrounding tissues which act as a host and now laser treatment can also be a very successful way of eradicating the wart as it targets the virus itself.
Laser treatment for Warts and Verrucae
Laser treatment for Warts and Verrucae can be a fast and effective way to kill the virus that causes the Wart and Verrucae.
At the Podiatry and Laser Clinic we use Fotona Nd:Yag 1064nm laser. Laser light destroys the blood supply to the Wart / Verrucae without damage to the surrounding tissue. The laser heats up the wart and seals its blood supply thereby killing the viral infection so the wart can no longer survive. One treatment is all that is usually necessary for a very small wart but further treatment may well be needed to ensure that the growth is killed. Two treatments are initially booked two weeks apart.
Very large warts are also successfully treated with the laser but often require more than two treatments.
We also offer acid treatment and liquid nitrogen (cryo/freezing) for warts.
We now undertake plasma pen technology in our fight against recalcitrant verrucae/warts which is proving to be very successful.
Please visit our frequently asked questions page for further information specifically about this type of laser treatment.