Verruca: Falknor's Needling

Verrucae is another name for warts that appear on the feet. Caused by the Human Papilloma Virus, they usually self-resolve when the immune system recognizes them as an unwanted problem. This can take many years in adults and less in children. The current evidence-based research supports a treatment regime of masterly inactivity: in other words, leave them alone until they self-resolve. In terms of spread, the majority of Podiatrists, Dermatologists and skin specialists are not in favour of treating verrucae.

Verrucae are not usually painful, however the overlying callus (hard skin) can be uncomfortable in which case, book an appointment to have the callus removed. Many of the available treatments including the use of caustics (Bazuka) and freezing are often costly and painful with limited success so we don’t use these at Hackney Podiatry & Health.    

For patients who have tried ‘everything’ or feel desperate, we do offer one surgical treatment modality called Falknor’s Needling. This is a soft tissue procedure that introduces the viral cells to healthy cells (from the top layer of skin into the layer below), which can lead to a mediated cell response and therefore resolution.

This procedure is effective in 69% of cases, and is in no way guaranteed to resolve the issue definitively.

Verruca Treatment Options

1. Do nothing.
2. Caustics, freezing, microwaving – we don’t offer or recommend these treatments, as success is limited.
3. Falknor’s Needling.

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What does Verruca needling involve?

The Procedure

• This treatment involves inserting a thin sterile needle to a depth of 4mm repeatedly. This process implants the viral particles into the fatty tissue beneath the skin, where the body is rich in immune regulators, and this can trigger the required immune response.
• The procedure is carried out painlessly using a local anaesthetic
• Only mild soreness the following day has been reported by a few patients, although the majority of patients feel no discomfort at all following treatment.

Risks / Possible complications

• Unsuccessful outcome.
• Darker skin tones may temporarity lose pigment at the procedure site.
• Pain and bleeding from the wound, likely to peak 24 hours following the procedure.
• Nerve trauma.
• Infection following treatment.
• If you are diabetic we must see your latest HbA1c prior to treatment.