Mr. Onur Gilleard
Qualifications & Experience
Mr Onur Gilleard is a distinguished consultant plastic surgeon on the GMC specialist register. He previously held an NHS consultant post at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, specialising in skin cancer and microsurgical reconstruction. In 2021, Mr Gilleard transitioned from the NHS to dedicate himself fully to private practice, allowing him to focus exclusively on providing personalised, high-quality care to his patients. He is recognised as an expert in laser treatments, having conducted research and developed advanced treatment protocols using cutting-edge laser technology to optimise both clinical outcomes and cosmetic results.
Get started today
Book a Consultation
A verruca (plantar wart) is a rough, grainy growth on the sole of the foot, often with tiny black dots in the centre and painful when squeezed from the sides — the quickest way to tell it from a corn. This guide shows what a verruca actually looks like, how to distinguish it from corns, calluses and athlete’s foot, how to recognise the other wart types, why “verruca stages” is largely a myth, and what’s often mistaken for a wart but isn’t.
What a Verruca Looks Like
A verruca — the everyday name for a plantar wart — appears on the sole of the foot and has a few recognisable features. It’s rough and grainy, sometimes cauliflower-like, and often has tiny black dots in the centre: these are clotted blood vessels, not “roots” or “seeds.” Because it’s on a weight-bearing area, a verruca tends to be pushed flat and can grow inward, which is what makes it tender to stand on. Most are around a centimetre across and range from white to grey or brownish. Several can cluster together into what’s called a mosaic wart. A useful tell: a verruca interrupts the normal skin lines of the sole rather than letting them run across it.
Verruca vs Corn, Callus & Athlete’s Foot
This is the distinction people most want, and there’s a simple clinical test. The pinch test: a verruca hurts when you squeeze it side to side, whereas a corn hurts on direct downward pressure. Two more tells: a verruca has those black dots and interrupts the skin lines, while a corn is smoother, more uniform, and the skin lines run over it. Athlete’s foot (a fungal infection) causes flaky, itchy, red skin rather than a discrete raised growth. None of these is perfectly reliable alone, which is why an unusual or stubborn lesion is worth having checked.
“Verruca Stages” — the Honest Answer
People often search for “verruca stages,” expecting a neat early-to-late progression with defined phases. The honest answer is that this staging is largely a myth — there’s no recognised medical staging for a verruca. What actually happens is simpler: after the virus is picked up there’s a silent incubation of weeks to months, then a small rough spot appears, and over time it can enlarge and multiply (sometimes into a mosaic cluster) if left. That’s the whole story — it grows and can spread, but it doesn’t pass through numbered stages, so there’s no particular “stage” to wait for before getting it treated. If anything, earlier is easier.
The Other Wart Types, at a Glance
Verrucas are one of several wart types, all caused by cutaneous HPV but looking a little different by site:
- Common wart (verruca vulgaris) — rough, raised, dome-shaped, usually on hands and fingers; often with black dots.
- Verruca (plantar wart) — the flat, tender, sole-of-foot type described above.
- Flat wart (verruca plana) — small, smooth, flat-topped, often in groups on the face or backs of the hands; common in younger people.
- Filiform wart — long, thread-like, typically around the eyes, nose and mouth; grows quickly.
- Periungual/subungual wart — around or under a nail, more resistant because the nail shields it.
Full treatment options for each are in our wart & verruca removal guide.
What’s Often Mistaken for a Wart
- Corn or callus — thickened skin from pressure, no black dots, hurts on direct pressure (see the pinch test above).
- Molluscum contagiosum — pearly, dome-shaped bumps with a central dimple, caused by a poxvirus, not HPV.
- Skin tag — soft and smooth on a stalk, not rough or flat-based; the difference is set out in skin tag vs wart.
- Seborrhoeic keratosis (“senile wart”) — a benign age-related growth that isn’t a true viral wart at all.
- Something that needs checking — rarely, a skin cancer can mimic a wart, so a growth that bleeds, changes or won’t clear should be assessed rather than self-treated.
Your Questions, Answered
- What are the key signs of a verruca?
- A rough, grainy surface with tiny black dots at the centre (clotted blood vessels), usually flat because it’s on a weight-bearing part of the foot, and tender when squeezed from the sides. It interrupts the normal skin lines rather than letting them run across it.
- How can I tell if it’s a verruca or a corn?
- Use the pinch test: a verruca hurts when squeezed side to side, a corn hurts on direct downward pressure. A verruca also has black dots and breaks the skin lines; a corn is smoother, more uniform, and keeps the skin lines intact.
- Are there stages of a verruca?
- Not really — “verruca stages” is largely a myth. There’s no defined medical staging. After a silent incubation, a rough spot appears and can enlarge or multiply over time, but it doesn’t move through numbered stages, so there’s no stage to wait for before treating it.
- Can a verruca go away on its own?
- Sometimes, as the immune system clears the virus, but it can take months or years. Verrucas are also the wart type that responds least well to home freezing, so a stubborn or painful one is best treated professionally.
- Can I prevent getting a verruca?
- Reduce the risk by not walking barefoot in communal showers, changing rooms and around pools, keeping feet clean and dry, and not sharing towels or footwear. HPV spreads through wet, barefoot contact on shared floors.
Share this Post
