Children get more verrucas than anyone else, and most of them go on their own: around half clear within a year and most within two, as the child’s immune system learns to recognise the virus. The usual advice is to leave a verruca alone unless it hurts, spreads or upsets the child, to cover it for swimming and barefoot PE, and not to keep the child away from either.
Key facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do they clear on their own? | Usually: about half within a year, most within two |
| Swimming and PE | Yes, with a waterproof plaster or verruca sock; exclusion is not advised |
| Safest home treatment | Salicylic acid, above the minimum age on the pack |
| Not advised for young children | Home freezing kits, clinic freezing under about 10, needling |
| See a podiatrist if | It hurts, spreads, bleeds or 12 weeks of home treatment has failed |
Why do children get verrucas?
The virus that causes verrucas is everywhere, and most adults have some immunity because they met it as children. A child has not, so the first contact, usually on a wet changing-room floor or pool surround, often takes. Children also pick and scratch, which spreads a verruca across the foot, and share bathrooms and towels with siblings.
Verrucas are most common between about five and fifteen. They are harmless, do not mean anything is wrong with the child’s health, and are not a sign of poor hygiene.
Treat or leave alone?
Leave alone if:
- It does not hurt.
- It is not spreading.
- The child is not bothered by it.
- The child is under about six, when skin is sensitive and treatment is uncomfortable.
Most verrucas in children clear on their own, and treatment is not quicker enough to justify weeks of daily acid on a child who does not want it. Cover it with a plaster, do not let the child pick it, and check it monthly. Our guide to verruca stages shows the signs that it is starting to go.
Consider treatment if:
- It hurts when walking or running.
- It is spreading, or there are several.
- It has been there more than a year.
- The child is self-conscious about it, especially before swimming.
Which treatments are safe for children?
Salicylic acid (pharmacy gel, paint or plaster). The usual first choice for children over the minimum age on the pack, which varies by product, and only on the foot. Use the lower-strength products and apply with care: a child’s skin burns more easily, and the surrounding skin should be protected with petroleum jelly. Expect eight to twelve weeks. Many children will not tolerate daily filing and application for that long, which is the main reason it fails.
Home freezing kits. Not advised for young children: they hurt, blister, and a wriggling child is hard to treat precisely.
Cryotherapy at a clinic. Effective but painful during and after, and most podiatrists avoid it in children under about ten unless the verruca is a real problem.
Swift microwave therapy. Each pulse hurts sharply for a second or two. Some podiatrists use it in older children and teenagers; it is not generally used in young children.
Needling. Needs a local anaesthetic injection, so it is reserved for teenagers with stubborn verrucas.
Doing nothing. The most common podiatry advice for a child under ten with a painless verruca.
The treatment guide covers each option in detail.
Can children go swimming or to school with a verruca?
Schools and pools used to exclude children with verrucas. Most no longer do, and the Royal College of Podiatry and the NHS do not recommend exclusion. The virus is so widespread that keeping one child out of the pool does nothing to protect the others, and missing swimming lessons has a real cost.
What to do instead:
- Cover it with a waterproof plaster or a verruca sock for swimming, and a plaster for gymnastics, dance and any other barefoot activity.
- Flip-flops in changing rooms and showers, going to and from the pool.
- Own towel, not shared with siblings.
- Tell the school if their policy asks you to, and point them to the NHS advice if they want to exclude the child.
How do you stop a verruca spreading at home?
- Separate towels and bath mats.
- Socks changed daily and washed at 60 degrees Celsius.
- No bare feet on shared bathroom floors; slippers or flip-flops.
- Do not let the child pick, scratch or bite at it, and wash hands after touching it.
- Do not share the emery board or pumice used to file it.
Our guide to whether verrucas are contagious goes into more detail.
When should a child see a podiatrist?
Take your child to a podiatrist if:
- The verruca is painful enough to affect walking or play.
- Home treatment has not worked after twelve weeks, or the child cannot tolerate it.
- There are several, or a mosaic patch.
- It bleeds, grows quickly or you are not sure it is a verruca.
- Your child has diabetes, eczema on the feet, or a condition affecting the immune system. Do not use acid products in these cases without advice.
A podiatrist will confirm it is a verruca, pare away the hard skin if that helps with pain, and advise whether treatment is worth it at your child’s age. Many will say leave it alone, which is useful to hear from a professional.
Most GP practices in England do not treat verrucas and NHS podiatry is rarely available for them in children. Our guide to verruca treatment on the NHS explains the position.
Finding a podiatrist
Use the listings on verrucatreatment.co.uk to find a podiatry clinic near you; 799 listed clinics say they treat verrucas, and published starting prices for a treatment session are typically £50 (checked October 2026). Phone ahead to ask whether they see children and what they would suggest for your child’s age. Look for “HCPC” on the listing and check the name on the HCPC register.
Sources
- NHS: Warts and verrucas
- Royal College of Podiatry: Verrucae and children
- UK Health Security Agency: Managing specific infectious diseases in schools and childcare settings (no exclusion for warts and verrucas)
- Health and Care Professions Council: check the register