Cryotherapy from £55, follow-ups £38, and dry needling under local anaesthetic for the stubborn ones
Verruca treatment
An honest conversation first (most verrucae go on their own within two years and some are best left), then treatment if it is wanted: cryotherapy at £55 for the first visit and £38 for follow-ups a fortnight apart, or dry needling under local anaesthetic at £295 for the ones that have resisted everything else.
A verruca is a wart on the sole of the foot, caused by a virus, and most of them go away on their own within two years as the immune system notices them. So the first thing we do is tell you that, and ask whether it hurts, whether it is spreading and whether you want to wait. Plenty of people do. For the ones who do not, there are treatments that work, and we use the two with the best evidence.
Cryotherapy freezes the verruca with a nitrous oxide spray for a few seconds, after the hard skin over it has been reduced so the cold can reach it. It stings for a minute and can blister for a day or two. It usually takes three to five sessions a fortnight apart, and works for about two thirds of verrucae. Children over eight usually cope well; younger children we generally advise to wait.
Dry needling is for verrucae that have resisted everything for a long time. Under local anaesthetic, the verruca is punctured many times with a fine sterile needle, pushing the virus into the deeper skin where the immune system finds it and clears the lot, often including satellite verrucae elsewhere on the foot. It is one session, £295 with the review, and works in about 70 to 80% of cases.
What we do not do is sell courses: you pay per visit, and if the verruca has not responded after five cryotherapy sessions we stop and talk about needling or waiting. Swimming is fine with a verruca sock or a plaster. Do not cut or file it at home with anything you use elsewhere on your feet.
What is included
- An honest first conversation, including waiting
- Hard skin reduced so the treatment reaches
- Cryotherapy, paid per visit, not as a course
- Dry needling for the stubborn ones
- A stop after five sessions if it is not working
- Advice on swimming and school
What it costs
Assessment and the first cryotherapy £55; each follow-up £38, usually three to five a fortnight apart. Dry needling, one session under local anaesthetic, £295 including the review. The prices page has every price in the clinic and at home; the symptom finder says which appointment fits what is bothering you.
Questions about verrucae
Should my child have their verruca treated?
Under eight, usually not: most go on their own and treatment is uncomfortable. Over eight, if it hurts or is spreading, cryotherapy is well tolerated. We will say honestly which we think.
Can I swim with a verruca?
Yes. Cover it with a waterproof plaster or a verruca sock and do not share towels. There is no need to keep anyone out of the pool.
The next free appointment is on this website.
A first appointment is forty-five minutes and £52: the history, the circulation and sensation checks, and the treatment itself. Book online from an hour and a half ahead or ring the clinic; two slots a day are kept for painful problems that should not wait.