At Fairfield Podiatry, warts are one of the most common skin conditions we treat. Because a virus causes them, warts are highly contagious and can take some time to get rid of. The most common way to get one is via direct skin-to-skin contact, such as shaking hands with someone who has a wart on their hand. As you may often hear, prevention is better than a cure, so check out our prevention tips below to help reduce your risk of getting a wart!
Minimise barefoot walking in public communal areas
People that have a wart may have been walking barefooted in the same area, and the virus that causes warts survives on most surfaces.
Areas such as swimming pools and public showers are some of the most common places to pick up warts.
Wear thongs to reduce your risk!
Wear socks or shoes in hotel rooms
Use emollient to maintain your skin integrity
As the virus enters through a small break in the skin, keeping the skin on your feet hydrated reduces the risk of this happening.
Walker’s Urea 15 Foot Lotion is an excellent emollient for daily use.
Use Excilor Protector Spray
Provides an invisible protective barrier on the skin for up to 8 hours.
You can apply Excilor Protector Spray to your feet before spending time in a high-risk area.
If you or someone in your household has a wart, below are some things you can do to reduce the risk of them passing it on.
Cover the wart with a dressing
Cover the wart with a dressing such as a Band-Aid while barefooted.
Clean surfaces with bleach-based cleaner after each use
This will help to kill any virus particles that may remain.
If you think you have a wart, feel free to contact us or book an appointment online, as the sooner we treat it, the better!
Author: Dion Vallianos