There are so many myths about verruca's which are just not true... So, I am here to help people understand what they are and how to best treat them.
Verrucae are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), it is also the same virus that causes warts; There are many different strains of HPV that cause warts and verrucae, which is why they do not always look the same. They can be big or small, you can have one or more, they can become a stubborn, hard to get rid of painful problem.
The Human Papilloma Virus causes changes in the skin; causing it to over produce. Verrucae can be found anywhere on the foot however; very commonly on weigh bearing areas. They can appear rough, they can protrude slightly, they can be big in clusters or the can very small in appearance. People can have one or more verrucae/warts on the feet/body at the same time.
Black dots are often seen in the verruca & people know this as a tell tale sign of a verruca, these are thrombosed blood vessels which occur due to the pressure in the verruca tissue being so great.
Verrucae don't usually cause any symptoms other than when they build up with callus (hard skin) they can be uncomfortable. Also, when it gets to summer we find patients are often embarrassed to show their feet.
Good news is... that we can help with verrucae that have become increasingly annoying.
Here at Wombwell Foot Clinic we pride ourselves on having the most up to date and effective treatments for verrucae.
Treatments include:
SWIFT Microwave Therapy
SWIFT uses microwave energy to heat shock the verrucae & this causes the verrucae to create new proteins that the body recognises. SWIFT is delivered through a probe to the verrucae.
SWIFT can be painful, each treatment lasts a minimum of 10 seconds, however this is broken down into 5 two second treatments; making it more manageable.
There is no downtime needed after SWIFT; there may be slight blistering after the treatment & an uncomfortable feeling for a couple of days. However, this has never been reported to stop patients going about their day to day life.
Falknor's Needling
Falknor's needling is a simple surgery procedure that intends to break down the verruca tissue & creates a controlled inflammatory response which stimulates the body's immune system to recognise the virus and destroy it.
Needling usually only requires one or two treatments; making it good for busy people. However, it can feel bruised for a few days afterwards and requires local anaesthetic, but then the treatment is painless.
Needling is carried out by Matthew, Wombwell Foot Clinic's Podiatric Surgeon.
The treatment requires local anaesthetic & when the area is numb we picture the verrucae many times; pushing the viral particles further into the dermis (deeper layer of the skin) where the body's immune regulators can recognise and destroy the HPV virus.
Verrutop®
Verrutop® is made up of a nitro-zinc complex; it works to kill the wart/verruca tissue by breaking down it protein structure, leaving skin underage intact.
No major pain has been reported during treatment; however, a mild sting has been reports during and after treatment. This typically doesn't last longer than a couple of hours.
Verrutop® is suitable for adults and children as young as 6 years old.
Verrutop® reports 80% of patients saw clearance within 4 treatments.
Contact us on 01226755611 or book online for a verruca assessment.