Wart & Verruca treatment
Specialists in wart and verruca treatment
Needling
Needling a verruca under local anaesthetic aids in pushing the infected cells deeper into the skin to stimulate an immune system response to combat the virus and destroy the verruca lesion.
1 – 2 treatments required
Very effective
£200 initial
£150 2nd
Acid based
Verrutop acid is a Class IIa Medical Device Nitric based chemical that works to destroy the verruca cells and promote an immune healing response.
3 – 6 treatments suggested
Moderately effective
£56 initial
£41 follow-up
Conservative
Conservative management by softening the verruca, debulking and reducing its size. This verruca treatment method should help relieve pain on pressure/walking.
Treatments when needed
Minimally effective
£47 initial
£30 follow-up
We treat verrucas and warts at the Foot Clinic Aldershot.
Verrucas, also known as plantar warts, are a type of skin growth caused by a viral infection. They typically appear on the soles of the feet, particularly on the heels or the balls of the feet. Verrucas are usually small, rough, and have a grainy texture, they may also have tiny black dots in the centre, which are actually fragments of dried blood.
Verruca needling
Verruca needling is a medical procedure used to treat verrucas, which are a type of skin wart caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). This procedure is typically performed by a dermatologist or podiatrist. Verrucas are often found on the soles of the feet and can be painful or uncomfortable.
During the needling procedure, a small needle is used to puncture the verruca several times. This process is performed under local anaesthetic, so it will be painless after the injection. The goal of needling is to introduce the virus to the immune system and stimulate an immune response, also called autoinoculation.
A dressing will be applied to cover the treated area, and patients are advised to keep it dry and clean during the healing process.
Patients may need to return for follow-up appointments to monitor the progress of the treatment. Additional treatments may be necessary if the verruca does not resolve completely after the initial needling.
Verruca needling is considered an effective treatment option for some stubborn verrucas that have not responded well to other conservative treatments like topical medications, cryotherapy (freezing), or laser therapy. However, it may not be suitable for all verrucas, and the success rate can vary from person to person.
Current research shows a 69% resolution after one or two treatments.
Longhurst, B., & Bristow, I. (2013). The Treatment of Verrucae Pedis Using Falknor’s Needling Method: A Review of 46 Cases. Journal of clinical medicine
Acid-based treatment with Verrutop®
Verrutop® is a Class IIa Medical Device and is only available to healthcare providers such as podiatrists and dermatologists. Verruca need special pre-treatment or preparation for Verrutop to be applied.
Verrutop is a new type of wart treatment. Unlike Cryotherapy or other chemical treatments, Verrutop does not act by freezing or burning the tissue. Instead, it denatures the viral protein and desiccates the wart tissue, which then falls off the skin, leaving intact skin underneath.
Treatments generally require 3 sessions and up to 6 – being 1 week apart. During this period you will need to apply surgical spirit to the verruca lesion to continue to dehydrate the area.
Conservative verruca treatment / management
Verruca found on the feet and warts found on the hand are mostly benign and harmless. They may cause pain and become unsightly, but treatment is often not required unless it becomes painful or you are unhappy with their presence. Conservative treatment includes reducing and debulking the area with a scalpel (which is often painless) and sometimes comes with a recommendation to apply tape over the verruca to soften it which can make it much less painful. This approach tends to ‘manage’ the verruca until the immune system becomes aware of it and attempts to rid it. Taping the verruca or wart also sometimes helps stimulate the immune system to deal with the lesion(s).
” Treating verruca on the feet is challenging and there is no one guaranteed procedure that will ‘cure’ the verruca, even surgical excision is not 100%. The key to treating and resolving verruca is by your own immune response and specialist treatments we perform in the clinic are designed to promote an immune response so your body removes the verruca lesion(s). This takes the body time to mount an immune response, if at all, which is why verruca often take a while to resolve. “