Verruca's

Gosh they are a bloody nightmare- just when I thought that i finally got rid of John's verrucas, more just keep appearing. i have to say for a six year old boy with hobbit feet, he is sure coping really well. Every night before he goes to bed he looks forward to his evening ritual of I applying cream to harden his skin and John counting to 100( This is to make sure the cream dries) before he tucks his feet under his bed sheet.
I spoke to my mother yesterday and she recommended that during the full moon cycle that I clean his foot with olive oil, rub a dry bay leaf on the verruca and then bury the bay leaf in the ground. Now this is a womam who thinks that all the witchy stuff i do is bollocks- well most time! -yet she is advising me that the best way to cure verrucas and warts is to rub a bay leaf and bury it in the ground when it's a full moon. I have to say rubbing banana skin is tempting too.
I thought I better add some information about it-


Verrucas
Dr Rob Hicks
Getting a verruca or two is almost a routine part of growing up. Many people aren't troubled by them at all, while others find them cosmetically distressing. For some, however, they can be a real pain.
In this article
What are they?
Who gets them?
What's the treatment?

What are they?
Verrucas are warts that appear on the sole of the foot and are caused by an infection with a strain of the human papilloma virus.
They appear as hard growths on the surface of the skin and can spread quickly to other areas of the sole. The weight of the body can flatten the verruca and force it into the skin. When this happens the verruca can be painful and it may stop you from walking properly.
Who gets them?
Most people get a verruca at some point in their lives. Children and teenagers are more likely to get them than adults. They're usually caught from public changing rooms and swimming pools. Getting verrucas has nothing to do with poor hygiene.
It's easy to distinguish a verruca from a corn or hard skin because the verruca usually has tiny black dots visible in it.
What's the treatment?
Verrucas disappear on their own without treatment, but this can take years
Verrucas disappear on their own without treatment, but this can take years so most people choose to have them treated.
Don't try to dig or cut them out.
A wart paint or gel containing salicylic acid, used every day, will help remove the hardened skin. Soak the verruca in water for a few minutes then dry it before applying treatment.
Freezing a verruca with liquid nitrogen speeds up the process by partly killing the virus and partly destroying the skin that it lives in. The freezing feels cold during treatment, like putting an ice cube on your skin, and sometimes feels a little sore afterwards. Occasionally, the skin blisters, but this is usually nothing to worry about.
A single freezing treatment is often enough for small verrucas, while larger ones often need repeat treatments every two to four weeks. Your GP may offer this treatment.
Hardened skin can be safely removed using a pumice stone or emery board, but don't to be too vigorous.
Tea tree oil is well known for treating verrucas and warts on other parts the body. Another natural treatment that can be effective is to apply the inside of a banana skin to the verruca. Rub the inner skin against the verruca for a few minutes two or three times a day or cut out a piece of banana skin large enough to cover the verruca, tape it in place and leave overnight.
Having a verruca doesn't mean you can't go swimming. Provided you wear verruca socks (available from pharmacies), you won't pass the virus to other people.
This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in July 2006.