Verruca Needling (Falknor's Needling) in London

What is Verruca Needling?

Verruca needling (also known as Falknor’s Needling) is a proven method to treat verrucas and warts, especially when other treatments have failed. Unlike cryosurgery or topical treatments, verruca needling usually requires just one session to effectively eliminate the verruca, making it an excellent choice for people with busy schedules.

This technique works by using a sterile needle to puncture the verruca, causing a small amount of bleeding that activates your body’s immune system. As a result, the immune system begins to fight the infection, breaking down the diseased tissue and healing the verruca naturally. By pushing the virus into deeper layers of the skin, verruca needling stimulates a response from your body’s defenses, which helps to clear the infection.

The Verruca Needling Treatment Process

The process for verruca needling involves three straightforward steps:

1. Local Anaesthesia

Before the procedure, a local anaesthetic is applied to the area around the verruca. This numbs the treatment site, ensuring you remain comfortable throughout the procedure.

2. Puncturing the Verruca

Once the area is numb, a hypodermic needle is used to puncture the verruca multiple times. The needle pushes the virus into the deeper layers of the skin, which helps your immune system to recognise and target it, leading to the destruction of the infected tissue.

3. Dressing and Aftercare

After verruca needling, a dry dressing is applied to the treated area. It is essential to keep this dressing dry for the first 24 hours, and you should avoid walking or driving while the anaesthesia is still active.

While the anaesthetic wears off within 2 to 3 hours, it can sometimes take longer, depending on the individual. After 48 hours, showering is allowed, and you can return to normal activities, although some mild soreness may last for a few days.

What to Expect After Verruca Needling Treatment

Following verruca needling, here’s what you can expect:

• Mild Soreness: Expect mild discomfort or soreness for the first 2 to 3 days after treatment. This is a normal part of the healing process and should fade quickly.
• No Immediate Results: Full results can take up to 16 weeks to appear, so don’t be concerned if you don’t see immediate changes. The verruca may start to show gradual improvement over time, with full resolution usually occurring within 4 months.
• Follow-up Treatments: In most cases, just one or two treatments of verruca needling will suffice to completely eliminate the verruca. However, depending on the severity, additional treatments may be necessary.
• Long-Term Healing: While initial results may be visible within a few weeks, complete healing may take up to 4 months, so patience is key.

Like any treatment, there’s no guarantee that a verruca won’t return, but verruca needling has a high success rate, and many patients experience full eradication after one or two treatments.

Benefits of Verruca Needling Over Other Treatments

Here’s why verruca needling is often a superior choice over other methods:

• Minimal Recovery: Unlike cryosurgery, which can cause scarring, or acid treatments, which require multiple applications, verruca needling offers a minimal recovery time.
• Non-Damaging to Healthy Skin: Unlike caustic treatments that can damage healthy skin, verruca needling targets only the verruca, leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed.
• Proven Success Rates: Research and client testimonials confirm that verruca needling is highly effective, with a high percentage of patients experiencing full resolution of their verrucas after treatment.

This approach is ideal for first-time occurrences or mild-moderate cases. It often results in immediate relief and helps you avoid surgery if the condition hasn’t become chronic.

Success Rates for Verruca Needling

Clinical studies of Falknor’s Needling, which is the method used for verruca needling, show promising success rates. A retrospective review of 46 cases (Longhurst & Bristow, 2013) revealed the following results:

• 69% of patients (31 people) experienced complete resolution of their verrucas.
• 3 patients showed reduced size and pain, demonstrating improvement.
• 11 patients experienced no improvement, which is common for any treatment as no method is 100% effective.
• There were no post-operative infections or scarring, and any symptoms like bruising or discomfort were mild and temporary.

These results highlight verruca needling as a safe and effective treatment for most patients, offering a high success rate with minimal side effects. More recent research supports this: a 2025 study of the needling technique (Sobrín-Valbuena et al., 2025) found that 80.7% of plantar warts were fully resolved within 60 days, with only mild, short-lived discomfort reported.

Is Verruca Needling Right for You?

Before deciding on verruca needling, here are a few things to consider:

• Health Conditions: Your general health and medical history can impact the outcome of the procedure. Be sure to discuss any conditions with your podiatrist before undergoing verruca needling.
• Multiple Verrucas: If you have multiple verrucas, only the main verruca needs to be treated. The body’s immune system will respond to it, which can also help treat other verrucas present.

At Flawless Feet, we offer consultations to determine if verruca needling is the right solution for you. Our experienced podiatrists and chiropodists in London will carefully evaluate your condition and explain the procedure in detail, ensuring you are fully informed before proceeding.