Verrucae Treatment

Verrucae are warts that can be found anywhere on the foot but commonly occur on the soles of the feet. They can also be found around nail edges,

Verrucae are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and are passed from person to person by direct contact. Our Podiatrist will carry out an assessment of your general health as well as your foot health before discussing a treatment plan and your options. 

Treatments may include: 

This involves ointments or liquids containing acids, which are usually stronger than over the counter preparations, being applied to the verruca. These acids act by carefully and gently destroying the very surface of the skin that the virus has been infected. 

The Podiatrist will remove any overlying hard skin using a scalpel. The surrounding healthy skin is protected using a barrier and the acid is applied via a pad that is secured to the foot. The pad stays in place and must be kept clean and dry for 5 to 7 days.

After this period, the Podiatrist returns to remove the pad and the skin overlying the verrucae which will now be white and macerated with a soft rubber texture.  A review appointment is arranged at 4 weeks to check the progression of healing and carry out another session if required.

This treatment is not suitable for young children or verrucae in places where acids may cause damage such as areas of thin skin or alongside nails.

Treatments are charged per session. In some cases, several sessions may be required in order to achieve full resolution of the verruca. Please refer to our price list for more information.

This involves freezing the verruca with a gas spray. Depending on the verruca size, this needs to be done at approximately three weekly intervals over a few months before the verruca is fully healed.  While there is evidence for the relative success of Cryotherapy, it can be more painful than other treatments.

The treatment can lead to soreness and blistering in some people. It is not advised for sensitive or anxious children, if you have diabetes, poor circulation, are pregnant or have any other conditions affecting the health of your feet or in places that may cause damage such as areas of thin skin or alongside nails.

Treatments are charged per session. In some cases, several sessions may be required in order to achieve full resolution of the verruca. Please refer to our price list for more information.

This is a form of soft tissue therapy which is intended to break down the verruca and create a controlled inflammatory response which then stimulates the body's immune system to recognise the virus and destroy it. 

The treatment has been around for over 45 years (being first described in a medical journal in America in 1969) and is used routinely with great success by practitioners internationally. 

Needling is different from most other treatment modalities (such as caustics, which can entail dozens of applications to be effective) as it only requires one, or occasionally two, applications making this an ideal treatment for busy people. 

24 hours after treatment you can shower as normal without the need to keep bulky dressings dry.

In fact, no dressings are required at all after two days, so you can continue with daily activities as normal.

How does this method of treatment work? 

By puncturing the verruca with an empty sterile needle many times, the viral particles are directly exposed to the fatty tissue beneath the skin where the body is rich in immune regulators. 

Here, the immune system can recognise and destroy the virus. As this immune response is often systemic, treatment of only one verruca is required even where there are many lesions as spontaneous remission occurs in all, or most, verrucae at the same time. 

The procedure is carried out painlessly under a local anaesthetic and only mild soreness the following day has been reported by a few patients, although the majority of patients feel no discomfort at all following treatment.

Patients who have tried most treatments are surprised by the lack of discomfort and the speed of resolution. Pain is often less than cryotherapy.

How long does the appointment take?

Anaesthetic normally takes 30 minutes to take effect. The procedure itself takes roughly 20 minutes; therefore, allow 90 minutes. 

Following treatment, you will normally need to attend the clinic after one week and then after three months to check up.

Will it be painful afterwards?

Needling is normally well tolerated. The foot and/or ankle are injected with long-acting anaesthetic and may be numb for as long as 8 to 12 hours. You will need to arrange transport from the clinic as driving is not recommended immediately afterwards.

Some patients experience pain afterwards and for this reason it is recommended to arrange a day of rest after the surgery. Paracetamol may be recommended to relieve post-operative pain but do not take aspirin or ibuprofen. 

Complications of needling

The risks of complications are small and include infection, bleeding, bruising or an unexpected reaction to the anaesthetic.

The exact risks are specific to you and differ for every person although we ensure strict sterile surgical precautions are undertaken to ensure risks are reduced to a minimum. As a result we do not offer this treatment in the home. 

In most cases a verruca will spontaneously resolve on its own without the need for treatment. 

Sometimes, simple sharp debridement followed by applying an occlusive dressing and allowing time and the body's immune system to deal with it is the best course of treatment.  This is particularly so with children, providing the verruca is not very large and painful.

Our Podiatrists can provide a regular course of simple treatment such as this, usually on a weekly basis, for the same cost as routine skin treatment. Alternatively, we are able to provide you with a range of medicines for self treatment at home. Please refer to our price list for more information.