Verruca or plantar warts are caused by Human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV can survive for long periods on surfaces and infection requires direct skin contact.
Verruca lives in the epidermis which is avascular (no blood vessels present) meaning the verruca goes undetected by the immune system allowing the verruca to survive for long periods.
NICE guidelines recommend no treatment unless the verruca is painful or causing distress as research has shown most verruca resolve spontaneously within two years.
Verruca on the sole can be particularly difficult to treat. This is because the skin on the plantar aspect of the foot is thicker than the skin elsewhere on the body making it difficult for treatments such as cryotherapy to penetrate the skin layers.
For long-standing painful verruca, needling can be a very effective treatment.
Verruca needling is performed under local anaesthetic. A hypodermic needle is then used to repeatedly puncture the verruca. This pushes infected tissue into the dermis to trigger an immune response.
If there is more than one verruca usually only one verruca needs to be treated. When your immune system kicks in all verruca will resolve.
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I have just had my first visit to Feet First and was a bag of nerves before I went. Don’t know what I got worked up about because Judith was just brilliant. I was made welcome and felt comfortable and at ease the whole time. I feel like I have two new feet and they look fantastic. Judith is a true professional and I highly recommend anyone to pay her a visit especially if you are in any way nervous or embarrassed about your feet.
- Norma Williams
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