London: Britain is a nation that hates its feet, according to a survey by Bazuka.

The fascinating survey also reveals that next to our beer bellies, our feet are the body part we love to hate. The Scots hate their feet the most (27 per cent), with their tummy coming in second at 24 per cent. Reasons for our dislikes include that they are ugly, smelly, and hard or have verrucas or mis-shapen toes.

In fact, warts and verrucas are the new hidden health taboo, with over a third of us saying they carry a stigma for parent and child. And many of us would actually discourage our children from taking part in activities if the child had a wart or verruca.

While most people questioned recognised warts are caused by viruses, many believe that sharing socks or rubbing feet with someone who has a wart will cause us to catch it. One in 20 people in greater London believe they could be infected by travelling on public transport.

Verrucas and warts are caused by the same virus, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), but manifest in different places on the body. Verrucas are found on the feet, while warts are found on the hands. Left untreated, they can multiply and spread. The longer a verruca is untreated, the more difficult it can be to get rid of and the more painful it becomes.

Verrucas are often picked up in wet or moist areas such as the surrounds of swimming pools. Nail biting raises the odds of developing a wart as a break in the skin allows the virus to enter the top layer of the skin. They commonly develop on the back of the hands, especially around the nails and fingers.

Bazuka contains salicylic acid, reported as the safest and most effective treatment for the Human Papilloma Virus – the virus that causes verrucas. Salicylic acid safely removes infected skin and the unique formulation ensures that the risk of the virus spreading is significantly reduced, as one daily application dries to form a water resistant, protective barrier. The simple application procedure ensures ‘no mess, no fuss no need for plasters’, which makes the whole treatment process as painless and easy as possible.