Confused whether you have a corn or a verruca!!
Oct 03, 2022Lots of questions going through your head. What are they? How did I get them? And which one do I have?
At Foot Corner, we see plenty of verrucas and corns. They are very common and definitely nothing to be embarrassed about.
What is a Verruca?
A Verruca is caused by the Human Papillomavirus or HPV, in the early stages they may appear as a small, dark stain in the skin and as they mature generally show a “cauliflower-rough” surface.
You may notice black dots within the lesion and sometimes hard skin or callus can form over the surface.
Verruca has defined borders.
Very often they may appear as a mosaic. Multiple, small, tightly packed, individual warts, which may/ may not be painful.
You may be at increased risk if you regularly attend public pools or gyms as the virus spreads via direct contact and loves wet or sweaty skin surfaces.
Most verrucae are painful when pinched. You may notice pain on weight bearing surfaces, especially after rest or first thing in the morning.
What is a Corn?
A corn is a localised thickening of the skin due to large amounts of pressure and friction, usually over a bony part of the foot causing the skin to compact into cone shape and is usually painful under pressure, like walking on a pebble.
They appear in many forms:
Hard corns- Usually associated with poorly fitting footwear, occupations where you may be standing for long periods, obesity or skin with low levels of tolerance to pressure.
Soft corns- Seen between the toes, footwear plays heavily in their formation. They are soft corn due to the moisturise between the toes and usually where 2 bony prominences rub together. Most commonly between toes 1-2 or 4-5.
Seed corn- Look like ..small seeds. They may have no surrounding area of callus and can occur on non-weight bearing surfaces. They are associated with dry skin.
Hope this clears up the confusion between the two.
If you have have any concerns about a Verruca or Corn Call Us Now On 01784 250 781 or book an appointment online to come in for a consultation
