In short
- The NHS says warts and verrucas usually go away on their own but may take months or even years, and the British Association of Dermatologists says up to 65% clear within two years without treatment.
- A 2012 Cochrane review of 85 trials found salicylic acid modestly better than placebo; freezing (cryotherapy) was not clearly better than placebo or than salicylic acid.
- In a UK trial of 240 people with verrucas, 14% were clear after 12 weeks with salicylic acid and 14% with freezing, so neither worked better.
- You do not need to keep a child off school or out of swimming: UKHSA lists no exclusion for verrucas, and the NHS says to cover a verruca with a plaster when swimming.
- If you have diabetes or poor feeling in your feet, do not use over-the-counter verruca treatments; see a GP or podiatrist instead.
The short answer
Most verrucas do not need treatment. The NHS says warts and verrucas "usually go away on their own but may take months or even years". The British Association of Dermatologists goes further: verrucas that are not causing problems such as pain "should be left alone".
If a verruca hurts, keeps spreading or bothers you, treatment is reasonable. The option with the most consistent evidence is salicylic acid, applied daily for weeks; freezing (cryotherapy) is the other main option. Both work for some people, neither works for everyone, and in a large UK trial they did equally well. Treatment takes patience: the NHS says pharmacy treatments can take up to 3 months.
Two groups should not treat verrucas themselves: people with diabetes and people with poor feeling in their feet. And a growth that bleeds, changes or looks unusual should be seen by a GP rather than treated as a verruca.
This guide covers what verrucas are, whether to treat, what the evidence says, how to treat one safely at home, swimming and school, what professionals offer, and when to see a GP. It is general information, not a diagnosis.
What a verruca is
A verruca is a wart on the foot, usually on the sole. The British Association of Dermatologists explains that warts are caused by infection of the outer layer of skin with the human papilloma virus (HPV). On the sole, a verruca usually sits flat under a layer of hard skin rather than standing up like a wart on a hand.
How to recognise one:
- The NHS says verrucas "have tiny black dots under the hard skin".
- NHS inform describes the skin as white, often with a black dot (a blood vessel) in the centre, and "flat rather than raised".
- NHS inform says verrucas can be painful if they are on a weight bearing part of the foot.
They are common, especially in children. In a Dutch study of 1,099 primary schoolchildren, 366 (about a third) had warts at the start.
How they spread
NHS inform says the virus spreads through close skin contact and through contaminated surfaces such as towels, shoes and changing room floors, and that infection is more likely when skin is wet or damaged. The NHS adds that it can take months for a wart to appear after contact with the virus, so it is often impossible to know where you caught it.
A verruca can look like a corn, which comes from pressure rather than a virus. Our guide to corns and calluses has a table comparing them.
Do you need to treat it?
Often, no. Here is what UK sources and the research say about verrucas left alone:
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| NHS | They usually go away on their own but may take months or even years. Treat them if they bother you, keep coming back or are painful. |
| NHS inform | It can take up to 2 years for warts to disappear, and they tend to last longer in older children and adults. |
| British Association of Dermatologists | Up to 65% of warts, including verrucas, clear without treatment within two years. Leave alone if not causing symptoms such as pain. |
| Dutch school study, 2013 | Half of primary schoolchildren with warts were free of them within a year. Younger children cleared faster. |
The school study looked at all types of wart in children, not just verrucas in adults, so it is a guide rather than a promise. But the message from every source is the same: a painless verruca can safely be left, covered when you swim, while your immune system deals with it.
Reasons you might choose to treat:
- it hurts when you walk
- it is spreading or new ones keep appearing
- it has been there a long time and is getting bigger
- it bothers you, and you understand treatment may take months
What the evidence says about salicylic acid and freezing
The main evidence summary is a 2012 Cochrane review of topical treatments for warts, covering 85 trials and 8,815 people. It is the latest version we could find. Two UK and Dutch trials of verrucas add useful detail.
| Treatment | What the trials found | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Salicylic acid | Better than placebo for warts at all sites (risk ratio 1.56); for warts on the feet the benefit was smaller (risk ratio 1.29) | The most consistent evidence, but the authors call the effect modest |
| Freezing (cryotherapy) | Not clearly better than placebo; for feet the result was close to no effect (risk ratio 0.90, wide uncertainty). More aggressive freezing worked better than gentle freezing but caused more side effects | Inconsistent |
| Freezing vs salicylic acid | No clear difference, overall or for feet | Consistent across the review and the UK EVerT trial below |
| Duct tape | Two trials, 193 people: no advantage over placebo | Limited |
A risk ratio of 1.29 means people using salicylic acid were about 1.3 times as likely to clear their warts as people using a dummy treatment.
The UK verruca trial
The EVerT trial, published in the BMJ in 2011, compared freezing by a health professional (up to four sessions, two to three weeks apart) with daily self-treatment using 50% salicylic acid for up to eight weeks, in 240 people aged 12 and over with verrucas. It ran in NHS podiatry clinics, university podiatry clinics and primary care. After 12 weeks, 14% of each group were completely clear. The authors concluded the two were equally effective.
Treatment versus waiting
A Dutch primary care trial published in 2010 randomised 250 people to freezing every two weeks, daily salicylic acid, or simply waiting. For common warts, freezing clearly came out ahead: 49% were clear, against 15% with salicylic acid and 8% with waiting. For the 124 people with verrucas, the authors found no clinically relevant difference between freezing, salicylic acid and waiting after 13 weeks.
The limits
The Cochrane authors judged many studies to be at high risk of bias. The trials are short, usually 12 to 13 weeks, so they say little about whether a verruca clears later. And side effects such as pain, blistering and scarring were not reported consistently, though the review says they are probably more common with freezing. The honest summary: salicylic acid has modest evidence, freezing is no better for verrucas, and waiting is a reasonable choice for a painless one.
Treating a verruca at home safely
The NHS says you can buy creams, plasters and sprays for verrucas from pharmacies, but that "These treatments can take up to 3 months to complete, may irritate your skin and do not always work." A pharmacist can help you choose one. The British Association of Dermatologists says salicylic acid treatment "should be daily for at least 12 weeks".
If you go ahead:
- Follow the pack exactly and keep the product on the verruca, off the healthy skin around it.
- Stop if the skin becomes sore or irritated, which the NHS says can happen, and ask a pharmacist before restarting.
- Keep your filing tools separate. The British Association of Dermatologists says not to use the same pumice stone, nail file or clippers on your verruca as on the rest of your feet, and to dispose of skin filings hygienically.
- Do not pick or scratch it. The NHS warns this can spread it.
- Give it time. In the trials above, most people were not clear after 12 weeks of either treatment.
Who should not treat a verruca at home
- People with diabetes. The Royal College of Podiatry's diabetes foot leaflet (February 2026) says over-the-counter corn and verruca remedies "are not recommended for anyone with diabetes as they can damage healthy skin and can lead to new wounds and infections."
- People with poor feeling in their feet. The British Association of Dermatologists lists diabetes or poor sensation in your feet as a reason to see a GP.
- Anyone unsure it is a verruca. Do not use acid on something that has not been identified.
Swimming, PE and school
You do not need to stop swimming or keep a child off school because of a verruca.
- The UK Health Security Agency's table of exclusion periods for schools and nurseries (updated 7 September 2026) does not list verrucas or common warts at all. Its only wart entry is for genital warts, which need no exclusion either.
- The NHS says to cover warts and verrucas with a plaster when swimming.
- NHS inform says to use a waterproof plaster or a verruca sock when swimming or doing PE at school, and to wear pool slippers or flip flops in communal changing rooms and showers.
Stopping it spreading at home
The NHS suggests:
- washing your hands after touching a verruca
- changing your socks every day
- not sharing towels, flannels, socks or shoes
- not walking barefoot in public places while you have one
- not scratching or picking at it
What professionals offer
According to the NHS, a GP may be able to freeze a verruca so it falls off a few weeks later, sometimes over several sessions, though you should check whether this is available on the NHS in your area. For a large or very painful verruca, a GP may refer you to a podiatrist, who can offer stronger medicines, freezing or surgery. If treatment fails, you may be referred to a dermatologist.
Things to know before you choose a professional treatment:
- Freezing is not painless. The British Association of Dermatologists says cryotherapy "is painful and may cause blisters and burns", usually needs repeating every three to four weeks, and is not usually recommended for children.
- Surgery is a last resort. The same leaflet says surgical procedures are painful and can lead to uncomfortable scarring.
- Newer options have less evidence. The Cochrane review found that none of the other treatments it looked at appeared safer or more effective than salicylic acid and freezing. Ask any provider what evidence supports what they offer.
Putting it together: what to do about your verruca
Here is how the guidance and the trials fit together for the most common situations. It is a starting point, not a diagnosis.
| Your situation | A sensible next step | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| A verruca that does not hurt | Leave it, cover it when you swim, do not share socks or shoes, and give it time | NHS; British Association of Dermatologists |
| A verruca that hurts or is spreading | Salicylic acid from a pharmacy, daily for at least 12 weeks, or ask a GP whether freezing is available locally | NHS; British Association of Dermatologists; Cochrane review |
| Deciding between acid and freezing | Expect similar results: in the UK trial 14% were clear at 12 weeks with each. Freezing is more likely to hurt and blister | EVerT trial; Cochrane review |
| A child with a verruca | No need to miss school or swimming; use a waterproof plaster or verruca sock. Freezing is not usually recommended for children | UKHSA; NHS inform; British Association of Dermatologists |
| You have diabetes or poor feeling in your feet | Do not use shop bought treatments; see a GP or podiatrist | Royal College of Podiatry; British Association of Dermatologists |
| It bleeds, changes, or keeps coming back after treatment | See a GP | NHS |
When to see a GP
The NHS says to see a GP if:
- you are worried about a growth on your skin
- a wart or verruca keeps coming back
- it is very large or painful
- it bleeds or changes in how it looks
- it is on your face or genitals
The British Association of Dermatologists adds: see a GP if you have diabetes or poor sensation in your feet, if the verruca interferes with your daily activities, or if you have treated it and it persists and starts spreading.
The bleeding and changing signs matter: a growth that bleeds or changes is a reason to see a GP whatever you think it is. Do not keep treating something that is not behaving like a verruca.
How we checked
We read the NHS page on warts and verrucas, the NHS inform page (updated 16 July 2026), the British Association of Dermatologists' leaflet on plantar warts (updated June 2022), the Royal College of Podiatry's February 2026 diabetes leaflet, and UKHSA's exclusion table and A to Z for schools (updated 7 September 2026), all checked on 10 November 2026. We read the abstracts of the 2012 Cochrane review, the 2011 UK EVerT trial, the 2010 Dutch primary care trial and the 2013 Dutch school study through Europe PMC, and noted their size, setting, length and stated limits.
We searched for a newer Cochrane review and did not find one. We could not open the full text of the Dutch trial, so we give its overall verruca finding but not the figures for each group. We did not include figures for placebo clearance, needling, microwave or laser treatments, because we could not trace them to a source we had read. The NHS page's review date has passed; it is still the live NHS advice. This is general information, not medical advice. If you spot a mistake, please tell us through the contact form.
Where Fairy Feet fits
Marianna Tapai FHP is a qualified Level 4 Foot Health Practitioner who has worked with feet and nails since 2006, in her own studio in Doncaster. Verruca Care (£49.99) is an assessment and treatment of verrucas, with a care plan suited to you and advice on whether treatment is worth it. If you have diabetes, start with a Diabetic Foot Health Consultation (£14.99) rather than any acid treatment.
Marianna is a Foot Health Practitioner, not a podiatrist or chiropodist, and she does not diagnose skin conditions or prescribe. See a GP for anything that bleeds, changes in how it looks or does not look like a typical verruca, and for any wart on the face or genitals. Very large or very painful verrucas that have not responded to treatment should be seen by a GP, who can refer you to a podiatrist or dermatologist. For questions or an appointment, use the contact form; there is no online booking.
Questions people ask
Do verrucas go away on their own?
Usually, yes. The NHS says they usually go away on their own but may take months or even years, and the British Association of Dermatologists says up to 65% of warts, including verrucas, clear within two years without treatment.
Can my child go swimming with a verruca?
Yes. UKHSA lists no school exclusion for verrucas, and the NHS says to cover the verruca with a plaster when swimming. NHS inform suggests a waterproof plaster or a verruca sock for swimming and PE.
Is freezing better than salicylic acid for a verruca?
Not on current evidence. In a UK trial of 240 people with verrucas, 14% were clear after 12 weeks with each treatment, and the Cochrane review found no clear difference between them. Freezing is also more likely to hurt and blister.
Are verrucas contagious?
Yes, they are caused by a virus that spreads through skin contact and shared surfaces such as towels, shoes and changing room floors. Cover it when swimming, do not share socks or shoes, and do not walk barefoot in public places while you have one.
Can I use verruca treatment if I have diabetes?
No, not over-the-counter products. The Royal College of Podiatry says corn and verruca remedies are not recommended for anyone with diabetes because they can damage healthy skin and lead to wounds. See a GP or podiatrist instead.
Sources
- Warts and verrucas. NHS, reviewed 25 July 2023, checked 10 November 2026.
- Warts and verrucas. NHS inform (NHS 24), updated 16 July 2026, checked 10 November 2026.
- Plantar warts (verrucas). British Association of Dermatologists, updated June 2022, checked 10 November 2026.
- Topical treatments for cutaneous warts (Kwok CS, Gibbs S, Bennett C, Holland R, Abbott R). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2012.
- Cryotherapy versus salicylic acid for the treatment of plantar warts (verrucae): a randomised controlled trial (Cockayne S and others, EVerT Team). BMJ, 2011.
- Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen versus topical salicylic acid application for cutaneous warts in primary care: randomized controlled trial (Bruggink SC and others). Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2010.
- Natural course of cutaneous warts among primary schoolchildren: a prospective cohort study (Bruggink SC and others). Annals of Family Medicine, 2013.
- High risk of non-healing wounds and amputation (diabetes leaflet). Royal College of Podiatry, February 2026.
- Public health exclusion periods in children and young people's settings. UK Health Security Agency, updated 7 September 2026, checked 10 November 2026.