1. Assessment
We confirm the lesion is a verruca (and not a corn or callus), check your medical history, and discuss whether needling is the right fit. Some verrucas respond better to topical treatment or cryotherapy — we will say so.
Verrucas · Banbury & Bicester
North Oxfordshire Verruca Clinic
If a verruca has stuck around despite over-the-counter creams, freezing, or pads, you are not alone. Needling — a single-session, immune-mediated procedure — is one of the most effective options for stubborn verrucas, and we offer it at both Foot Life clinics in North Oxfordshire.
Verrucas are common — and stubborn
Verrucas are warts on the foot caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They are harmless but can be painful when they sit on a weight-bearing area, and they often resist home remedies for months or years.
Most verrucas eventually clear on their own. If yours has not — or if it has spread, become painful, or is worrying you because of diabetes or another condition — it is worth getting it assessed. We will recommend the simplest treatment likely to work for your situation.
What is verruca needling?
Needling, also known as Falknor's technique, is a one-session procedure that uses your own immune system to clear the verruca. After numbing the foot with a local anaesthetic, the clinician uses a fine sterile needle to repeatedly puncture the lesion, pushing infected tissue from the outer skin layers into the deeper dermis.
Until that point, the virus has been hiding in the upper skin layers where the immune system rarely sees it. Once it reaches the dermis — which is rich in immune cells — your body recognises it and mounts a response. The verruca is not cut out or destroyed by the needle; it clears as your immune system catches up to it over the following weeks.
- Local anaesthetic — the procedure itself is virtually painless
- Usually a single session, with a follow-up to check progress
- No cutting out, no freezing, no caustic chemicals
- A single response can clear other verrucas you did not have treated
- You walk in and walk back out — no time off your feet
Why needling?
Needling targets the underlying immune-evasion problem rather than burning, freezing, or cutting away the visible lesion. The largest published case series of Falknor's needling reported complete resolution in around 69% of patients after a single session, with a further 7% showing partial improvement. We will be honest with you about whether your verruca is the kind likely to respond — and what to do if it does not.
~69%
complete resolution after a single session (Falknor's method case series, n=45)
Single session
for most patients — fewer clinic visits than acid or cryotherapy
Whole-body response
can clear untreated verrucas elsewhere on the foot
Clearance figure from Longhurst & Bristow, "The treatment of verrucae pedis using Falknor's needling method: a review of 46 cases," Journal of Foot and Ankle Research (2013). Individual results vary; we will discuss what is realistic for your verruca at the assessment.
What to expect at your appointment
2. Local anaesthetic
If you go ahead, we numb the foot with a local anaesthetic. The injection itself takes a moment; once it has taken effect you should not feel the procedure.
3. Needling
We then use a fine sterile needle to puncture the verruca repeatedly, pushing infected tissue into the deeper layers of skin where your immune system can see it. This usually takes only a few minutes.
4. Dressing and aftercare
We dress the foot before you leave and give you simple aftercare instructions. You can walk and drive straight afterwards. We avoid anti-inflammatory painkillers for the first 48 hours so the immune response can do its job.
5. Follow-up
We see you again to check the site has healed cleanly. Resolution typically continues over the weeks that follow as your immune system finishes its work — most patients are reviewed at around six months.
Who needling is for
Needling suits most adults and older teenagers with a stubborn verruca that has not cleared with first-line care. We may suggest a different approach if you are pregnant, take medication that suppresses your immune system, have peripheral vascular disease, have an active infection at the site, or are unable to have a local anaesthetic. The assessment appointment is where we work that out together.
Verruca needling pricing
Needling is a private treatment — no GP referral is needed. The price below covers the assessment, the procedure under local anaesthetic, and the follow-up appointment.
Verruca needling — two appointments
£150.00
Two-appointment needling course where the lesion is gently pricked to trigger an immune response.
If needling is not the right fit, we will recommend an alternative — topical treatment or cryotherapy — and price it transparently before you commit.
Verruca clinic FAQs
Does needling hurt?
The local anaesthetic injection feels like a brief sharp scratch, similar to a dental injection. Once the foot is numb you should not feel the needling itself. Most patients describe the rest of the appointment as comfortable, with mild tenderness for a day or two afterwards.
How many sessions will I need?
Needling is usually a one-session procedure. We will see you again to check healing and review progress, and most patients have a final review at around six months. A small number of cases benefit from a second treatment if the first did not fully clear the lesion.
Can I walk and drive after a session?
Yes. There is no downtime. We dress the foot before you leave and you can walk straight out. Most patients drive home — we just ask you to take it easy on the foot for the rest of the day.
Can children have needling?
We treat older teenagers case-by-case. For younger children, we usually try gentler options first because verrucas often clear on their own at that age and we prefer to avoid local anaesthetic if it is not strictly needed.
Is needling available on the NHS?
Needling is generally a private treatment in the UK and is not routinely commissioned on the NHS for verrucas. Foot Life is a private clinic — no GP referral is needed.
What if needling does not work for me?
If a single session does not clear the verruca, we will reassess at follow-up and talk through what makes sense next — a second needling session, topical treatment, or cryotherapy. We will only recommend further treatment if it is likely to help.
Will I have a scar?
Published case series report no scarring or post-operative infections after Falknor's needling. The needle punctures heal as small pinpoints; once the verruca has cleared, the area usually looks like normal skin.
Book a verruca assessment
Same-week assessment appointments are usually available at both clinics. If you are unsure whether needling is right for you, an assessment is the quickest way to find out — we will only recommend it if it is likely to help.
Book online
Or call Banbury on 01295 273 073 or Bicester on 01869 278 088.