Treatment, Cost & Booking

Verruca (or verrucae if you have more than one) are warts that occur on the soles of the feet, or around the toe area.

They are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is contagious through direct person-to-person contact.

There are various forms of HPV, which all relate to various parts of the human body.

The same lesions on the fingers are simply just known as 'warts'.

Verrucae thrive in moist, damp environments such as swimming pools, changing room floors and communal shower areas.

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It is possible to catch one simply by walking across the same floor as someone who already has a verruca, especially if you have any small or invisible cuts or abrasions that make it easier for the virus to penetrate.

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They are more common in children but can occur at any age.

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​The incubation period can be up to 12 months so the verruca may not appear immediately after contact with the virus.

At The Verruca Clinic, we will assess your general well-being and foot health before deciding on a treatment plan.

Often the discomfort from the verruca is caused by the thickened skin that surrounds it so we reduce this gently which can help ease the pain and allow other treatments to work more successfully.

However, the key to effectively treating your verruca is to trigger the body’s own immune response rather than simply destroying the infected tissue. In order to do this, we may use acid-based products, which are stronger than regular 'over the counter' treatments or cryotherapy, which involves freezing the verruca with liquid nitrogen.

By far the most successful treatment we offer to the majority suitable patients is the Swift microwave treatment. This new technology was developed in the UK and licensed for treatment of skin lesions in podiatry and dermatology.

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital regularly use Swift with much success.

Swift uses cutting-edge microwave energy sent through a special probe applied to the skin to zap affected tissue.

For the short duration of the treatment, it will be painful. However, we do have the ability to change our protocol according to how you are able to tolerate the treatment. We try to get as much microwave energy into the affected tissue at each appointment.

Studies have shown that the average lesion needs 3.5 treatments to resolve. The number of treatments you need will depend on how your body responds.

Some verrucae resolve within three treatments but more may be needed, especially with large or multiple lesions or ones you had had for a number of years.

Microwaves have been in clinical use for over 30 years, and are used globally in the effective treatment of cancer.

Microwaves are a form of non-ionising radiation, which means that they can’t cause damage to the DNA of living things. The Swift microwave treatment supplies enough energy to agitate water molecules and cause friction and delivers less energy into the skin than most laser treatments.

Aside from the kitchen appliance, microwaves are used in a number of everyday applications.

Standard WiFi uses microwaves, mobile phones, bluetooth, and cordless phones all use microwaves to send data over short distances. We interact with microwaves in more ways than we know, every day.

Normally, three to four sessions of Swift are required one month apart.

An independent UK clinical study looked at the worst cases of verruca across the country, and almost 80% of patients saw complete resolution in an average of 3-4 treatments.

Patients also reported significant reductions in pain after each treatment.

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The treatment is £105 per session at The Verruca Clinic.

This includes the consultation, the treatment and the one use only probe. You may be able to make a claim against a cash health care plan (depending on your cover).

If you would like to jump right with a Swift treatment, please use our online booking form.

Payment for the first treatment will be required at time of booking.

The beauty of this treatment is that it requires:

• No need to use a scalpel No needles No blisters from toxic chemicals No need to wear a dressing No need to stop your favourite activities including swimming