Verruca treatments

Verrucas are caused by the human papilloma virus and can spread if left untreated. They appear like a type wart commonly found on the foot. There are a range of treatments that can be used to treat verruca as every condition is different. We would recommend you have a consultation to identify the type and course of treatment. At Luckie Foot Clinic we endeavour to provide the speediest and most cost effective treatment to suit your needs.

Freezing/Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is a very safe process where we destroy the skin around the verruca by freezing it using a very cold gas. The idea is to provide a short, sharp shock to your skin cells, which destroys the verruca tissue. This is a very straightforward procedure causing minimum disruption to our patients, although it can take several treatments before the verruca is finally eradicated.  

Strong acid based treatments

Acid-based treatments, which are much stronger than the over-the-counter remedies you can buy, are used to destroy the infected skin. Again, this treatment usually requires several sessions before the verruca is fully destroyed. The procedure is largely painless, although some people may feel a little discomfort in the treated verruca once the acid starts to work.

Falknors needling for Verruca

Falknors needling procedure is an effective treatment for verruca. It is soft tissue therapy which is intended to break down the verruca and create a controlled inflammatory response which, in turn, stimulates the body’s immune system to recognise the virus and destroy it. Needling treatment has been around for over 45 years and is used routinely with great success. It has been reported to be highly effective, even for long-standing verruca. Verruca Needling is different from other treatment options such as cryotherapy or salicylic acid as it requires only one or occasionally two sessions. This makes it an ideal treatment option for those who want quick results. The treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic. Most people report only minor soreness for 2 to 3 days post-treatment.  

How does the treatment work?

Verruca Needling works by puncturing the verruca with an empty sterile needle repeatedly. The viral particles are directly exposed to the fatty tissue beneath the skin where the body is rich in immune regulators. The immune system can recognise and destroy the virus. As this immune response is often systemic, treatment of only one verruca is required even when you may have more than one as spontaneous remission can occur in all, or most, verruca at the same time.

The treatment

There are three stages to the Verruca Needling procedure:

1. You will be given an injection of local anaesthetic which will make your verruca and surrounding area numb.
2. Once the verruca is numb, the podiatrist will carefully needle the verruca to implant the virus into the dermal layer of the skin so that the body’s immune system can come into contact with the virus.
3. A dressing will be applied to the verruca once the procedure is completed. You are advised not to drive when the foot or part of the foot has been anaesthetised. Our advice is to get a Taxi or a lift home but avoid walking long distances initially.  

Will it be painful afterwards?

Some patients can experience soreness once the anaesthetic wares off. This soreness can best be described as a bruised feeling that can last for up to 7/10 days however most patients describe soreness only for 2 to 3 days after the procedure. Painkillers such as Paracetamol are normally sufficient to reduce any discomfort. Use of Ibuprofen or any other anti-inflammatory medication is not advisable, but you can use Paracetamol.  

Follow-up appointments

Routine post-operative check-ups are put in place for patients. Most patients are seen within 1 week after the procedure, 8 weeks to check if it has started to reduce in size and finally at 16 weeks. Following the procedure, the patient needs to keep the dressing on and keep their foot dry, until the first redress appointment.

Book an appointment or call 01202 721417 to speak to a knowledgeable health care professional.