{"url":"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15707637/How-deal-horrible-warts-NHS-doesnt-want-know-DR-ELLIE-instead.html","title":"Dr Ellie on warts: NHS skips them, try this instead.","domain":"dailymail.co.uk","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/6671071/pexels-photo-6671071.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"foot warts closeup","category":"Other","language":"en","slug":"d1fec96c","id":"d1fec96c-82a5-4292-84af-01d0cc7a3d07","description":"Dr Ellie Cannon advises on removing foot warts since the NHS rarely treats them as non-urgent.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Dr Ellie Cannon advises on removing foot warts since the NHS rarely treats them as non-urgent.\n- Use salicylic acid ointment from pharmacies for about £10, or pay for private cryotherapy freezing.\n- Warts from HPV spread easily but clear with persistence, easing pain and appearance worries.\n\n## The story at a glance\nA reader asks Dr Ellie Cannon about two ugly warts on their left foot. She explains they are harmless HPV growths, common on feet as verrucas from wet floors or skin breaks. The piece is reported now as her Mail on Sunday column answering public health queries.[[1]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15707637/How-deal-horrible-warts-NHS-doesnt-want-know-DR-ELLIE-instead.html)\n\n## Key points\n- Warts are small rough lumps caused by human papillomavirus, infecting skin anywhere but often feet (verrucas).\n- Spread via contaminated floors like pools or showers, especially if skin wet or damaged by cuts or eczema.\n- Can appear single or in clusters, spread body-wide, cause pain or cosmetic bother but pose no health risk.\n- NHS skips removal in most cases to save resources on benign issues.\n- Main fix: salicylic acid topical cream, over-the-counter for around £10 at pharmacies, dissolves warts over time.\n- Alternative: cryotherapy freezing with liquid nitrogen, done by private podiatrists for foot cases.\n- Success needs persistence; many resolve naturally but treatments speed it up.[[1]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15707637/How-deal-horrible-warts-NHS-doesnt-want-know-DR-ELLIE-instead.html)\n\n## Details and context\nWarts thrive where skin meets moisture and grit, like public changing rooms, making them common in kids and swimmers. Filing dead skin before applying salicylic acid boosts results, though full instructions come with products. Cryotherapy stings briefly but targets stubborn verrucas well, often needing repeats.\n\nNHS focus stays on urgent care, leaving cosmetic or minor fixes to private options or home efforts. Dr Ellie stresses they are not cancer or serious, just annoying.\n\n## Key quotes\nDr Ellie Cannon: \"Warts are small, rough growths triggered by a viral infection. They are not dangerous and can – with some persistence – be removed.\"[[1]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15707637/How-deal-horrible-warts-NHS-doesnt-want-know-DR-ELLIE-instead.html)\n\nDr Ellie Cannon: \"In most cases, having them removed isn’t something the NHS can assist with.\"[[1]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15707637/How-deal-horrible-warts-NHS-doesnt-want-know-DR-ELLIE-instead.html)\n\n## Why it matters\nWarts affect millions yearly, tying up time and self-esteem without real danger. Readers can treat affordably at home or privately, skipping NHS waits for trivial cases. Watch if a wart changes fast or bleeds, then see a GP to rule out rare issues.","hashtags":["#health","#warts","#nhs","#treatment","#skincare","#hpv"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-15707637/How-deal-horrible-warts-NHS-doesnt-want-know-DR-ELLIE-instead.html","title":"Original article"}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-06T19:34:13.301Z"}