How Can I Get Rid Of My Stubborn Verrucas?

What is a Verruca?

Verrucas are a viral infection of the skin which is usually picked up by walking in bare feet in an area with lots of barefoot activity, such as a swimming pool changing room or gym. The good news is that they are completely harmless and often go away naturally without treatment , but people often want to get rid of them if they become painful or even if they are just embarassing.

I really hate my verruca! How can I get rid of it?

Common verruca treatments, such as cryotherapy (freezing), or chemical caustics such as Salicylic Acid e.g. Bazuka, work by creating a thermal or chemical irritation to the skin in and around the verruca. This aims to resolve the verruca by creating inflammation around the area, thereby provoking an immune response. However the success rates for these treatments is generally poor in adults, often 50% at best.

Verruca Needling

Verruca needling is an effective treatment for stubborn verrucas that will not go away. The skin is first numbed with a local anaesthetic, then the verruca is punctured multiple times with a sterile needle, destroying the infected skin cells and pushing the viral particles into the deeper layers of skin containing the white cells, thus allowing the immune system to attack the verruca directly.

We have found this to be an effective treatment, even for longstanding verrucas of ten years or more where other treatments have failed.

The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic and so is pain free. Most people report only soreness for a few days, similar to a bruise.

Like many viruses, the verruca may prove resistant to the first treatment and in this case a further treatment may be offered depending on the circumstances.

Of course no treatment is 100%, and the success of the treatment depends on an effective immune response from the body, but the body of clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of this treatment is growing all the time.

Active Podiatry is pleased to offer this specialised treatment following a full assessment. Book your assessment now by contacting us.

Please note that this treatment is not suitable for children. Read on below about how we deal with verrucas in children

Children and verrucas

A verruca is a harmless virus that infects the skin and eventually goes away if left alone. It is very common in children due to social mixing and barefoot activities, which are all normal and healthy. Parents are often concerned and children can be self-conscious about them. However children have a robust immune system and often get rid of them without any interventions. They can sometimes be uncomfortable due to the hard skin that forms over them but this can be removed at a routine appointment to make your child more comfortable.

We are here to give advice and reassurance if your child has a verruca, but invasive treatments such as needling are not appropriate for obvious reasons. You may be surprised to learn that there are low cost non-invasive and pain free methods to help your child’s verruca go away, so please call us for advice if you are not sure what to do