Verrucae are an extremely common skin infection caused by the Human Papilloma Virus. They are experienced by most people at some time during their lives. Although most verrucae will spontaneously disappear without treatment, many patients seek treatment. This is because the verrucae may become painful or start to spread. There are many different treatments available including the Falknor's needling procedure.
The verruca virus invades the outermost layer of the skin and remains only in the skin(epidermis). Verrucae usually appear as a plaque of hard skin with an irregular border. They can also have black dots(blood vessels) scattered throughout. They can be anywhere on the soles of the feet or toes.
Our immune system is far more active in the deeper layers of our skin(dermis). This explains why some verrucae lesions are so resilient. Between these two layers is the dermo-epidermal junction and this structure is what is traumatised during dry needling.
Needling is a minor surgical procedure. This involves the use of a fine needle to puncture the verruca lesion and dermo-epidermal junction multiple times under local anaesthesia. The goal is to implant infected cells into the dermis, provoking an immune response, which then leads to the regression of the verrucae.
One huge advantage over other treatments such as cryosurgery and caustics is that only one session of treatment is usually needed. If you have multiple lesions, only one verruca needs to be treated, as then the systemic immune response is initiated. There is no evidence that suggests that the virus can spread further using this technique.The damaged area is normally dry within a week.
Studies have shown Verruca Needling has a success rate of approximately 50 -70%. As with all verrucae treatments, results cannot be guaranteed.
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