Mr. Onur Gilleard
Qualifications & Experience
Mr Onur Gilleard is a distinguished consultant plastic surgeon on the GMC specialist register. He previously held an NHS consultant post at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, specialising in skin cancer and microsurgical reconstruction. In 2021, Mr Gilleard transitioned from the NHS to dedicate himself fully to private practice, allowing him to focus exclusively on providing personalised, high-quality care to his patients. He is recognised as an expert in laser treatments, having conducted research and developed advanced treatment protocols using cutting-edge laser technology to optimise both clinical outcomes and cosmetic results.
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For a stubborn verruca on the sole, patients across St Albans and Hertfordshire can have consultant-led CO2 laser removal — our first choice for foot warts, clearing around 85–90% in one to two sessions versus roughly 50–60% for repeated freezing. It’s a same-day procedure under local anaesthetic, no GP referral needed: you walk out with a dressing, back in normal shoes within 5–7 days. This guide explains why verrucas are so stubborn, how CO2 laser compares with freezing, cost, and recovery.
Verruca Removal for St Albans & Hertfordshire
Verrucas are plantar warts — warts on the sole of the foot — and they’re one of the commonest skin problems we treat for Hertfordshire patients, picked up on the wet, barefoot floors of local pools, gyms and school changing rooms. London Skin Clinic, led by GMC-registered consultant plastic surgeons, has a St Albans location as well as Harley Street in central London, and you can book directly without a GP referral. Because the NHS doesn’t fund cosmetic verruca removal, most people come to us for prompt, definitive treatment rather than months of over-the-counter freezing.
Not certain it’s a verruca? The quick check is the pinch test: a verruca hurts when you squeeze it side to side, whereas a corn hurts on direct downward pressure. A verruca also interrupts the skin lines and shows tiny black dots (thrombosed capillaries), while a corn keeps smooth, unbroken skin lines running over it. If you’re unsure, that’s exactly what the consultation confirms before any treatment.
Why Verrucas Are So Stubborn
A verruca is harder to clear than a wart elsewhere for one simple reason: the skin on the sole is thick, the viral tissue runs deeper, and every step presses the wart inward. Home and pharmacy freezing kits reach far lower intensities than clinical treatment, so they often can’t destroy the deep viral tissue — which is why people freeze a verruca a dozen times over months and it simply won’t die. Repeated weak freezing can even make it more entrenched. This is the single most common reason people finally come in to have it dealt with properly. Verrucas can also multiply into a cluster (a mosaic verruca) or spread to the other foot if left, so treating a single one early is usually simpler than tackling several later.
CO2 Laser vs Freezing
For a stubborn verruca, CO2 laser is our first choice. It vaporises the wart precisely on the thick sole skin, without leaving a linear scar on a weight-bearing area, and lets the surgeon see exactly what has been removed. In our hands it clears stubborn verrucas in around 85–90% of cases within one to two sessions, compared with roughly 50–60% for repeated cryotherapy. We don’t offer Swift microwave therapy — CO2 laser is our single-visit equivalent. A recent example: a runner in his thirties had a plantar verruca frozen six times over two years at a podiatrist; one CO2 laser session cleared it, he was back running at two weeks, and it was still clear at his one-year review.
The Procedure and Recovery
Treatment is done the same day as your consultation, under local anaesthetic — the injection stings briefly, then the laser itself is painless. You walk out the same day with a dressing, are back in normal shoes within 5–7 days, and back to sport at about two weeks. The wound heals over two to three weeks, though the final, settled skin is fairly judged at around three months. Aftercare is simple: keep the dressing clean and dry, keep the site lightly moist rather than dry-scabbing once healing, don’t pick it, and wear comfortable footwear. Occasionally a stubborn or mosaic verruca needs a second session, which the consultant will discuss honestly.
Cost and Booking
Verruca removal is £500 (each additional verruca £300), with a £100 consultation; the reason it’s dearer than an ordinary wart is honest — plantar skin is thick, the tissue runs deep, it’s a weight-bearing site, and the aftercare is more careful. The full cost is confirmed before any procedure, with no GP referral required. View the verruca removal procedure · book an assessment or call 0203 916 6200.
Your Questions, Answered
- What’s the most successful verruca treatment?
- In our experience CO2 laser, clearing stubborn verrucas in around 85–90% of cases within one to two sessions, versus roughly 50–60% for repeated freezing. We don’t offer Swift microwave therapy; CO2 laser is our single-visit equivalent.
- How soon can I walk after verruca laser treatment?
- You walk out the same day with a dressing, are back in normal shoes within 5–7 days, and back to sport at about two weeks. The wound heals over two to three weeks; the final result is judged at three months.
- I’ve frozen it for months and it won’t go — why?
- Home and pharmacy freezing kits aren’t strong enough for thick plantar skin, and repeated weak freezing can entrench a verruca. This is the commonest reason people end up in clinic; one proper CO2 laser session clears the great majority.
- Do I need a GP referral near St Albans?
- No — you can book directly. The NHS doesn’t fund cosmetic verruca removal, so most Hertfordshire patients arrange private treatment for a prompt, definitive result.
- How much does verruca removal cost?
- £500 (each additional verruca £300), plus a £100 consultation. It’s dearer than an ordinary wart because plantar skin is thick, the tissue runs deep and it’s a weight-bearing area.
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