Can I do a pedicure on a client with a verruca?

Usually yes — but you work around it, never on it. A verruca is a plantar wart caused by human papillomavirus. It lives in the skin, sheds virus into the surrounding area, and spreads on damp surfaces, shared tools, and bare feet. It is not a reason to turn the client away; it is a reason to change how you work.

The practical standard:

• Never file, buff, drill, or blade a verruca. Debriding it spreads viral particles across the foot and onto your kit, and blade debridement sits outside beauty therapy scope and most salon insurance. It belongs with a podiatrist.
• Cover it before you start — a waterproof dressing over the lesion for the whole treatment, removed and binned at the end.
• Isolate the tools. Single-use files and buffers for that foot, binned after. Anything reusable goes through full decontamination, not a wipe-down.
• Skip the shared soak unless you use a disposable liner, and disinfect the bowl and footrest properly afterwards. HPV survives on wet surfaces.
• No barefoot walking to and from the couch — flip-flops or a disposable slipper.
• Polish and gel are fine on healthy nails. The verruca just stays covered and untouched.

Verrucas can take months to clear on their own and often need pharmacy salicylic acid or cryotherapy, so refer rather than treat. Log what you saw, what you avoided, and the date — it is health data under UK GDPR and belongs in a secure client record, not a paper diary.