Swift Wart Removal Therapy Melbourne
Stubborn, painful and unsightly warts?
Are you looking for an effective wart removal treatment in Melbourne? Swift has the highest success rate in Podiatry and Dermatology care.
What is a wart?
Warts are caused by infection from the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV affects only the superficial layers of the skin to produce a thick callus-like growth. There are many strains of HPV but only a few are able to cause warts on the feet.
Warts on the sole of the feet are called plantar warts or verrucae. They can often be painful and challenging to treat because the skin on the sole of the foot is thicker than other parts of the body. Other treatments too can be painful, if the wart is overlying a bony bump or weight bearing part of the foot.
How did I get my wart?
Warts are spread via direct contact with the virus. Common sites of infection include communal areas such as change rooms, showers and swimming pools.
We recommend using thongs in such areas to create a physical barrier between your foot and the supporting surface.
What is Swift?
Swift is a new breakthrough technology with strong evidence to show it is more effective than other current wart treatments. It has a success rate of 83%.
Swift works by delivering a highly controlled dose of microwave or heat energy, to a predetermined depth, that rapidly elevates tissue temperature. By heating the water molecules in the infected tissue, Swift therapy initiates a targeted immune and healing response.
Warts and plantar warts can be difficult to treat because the body doesn’t know they are there. Other treatments involve burning, freezing or the use of acidic preparations to corrode the wart. Swift works differently by activating dendritic cells that signal to the body that the virus is present, and t-cells clear the infection.
Over time the wart tissue is repaired and replaced with healthy cells.
Wart tissue
Swift treatment
Healthy skin
What are the benefits of Swift?
Swift is a fast and effective treatment that doesn’t require the wart to be aggressively pared back prior to use.
- Other benefits include:
- most effective treatment wart treatment available (83% chance of success)
- no need to keep dry or cover with a dressing
- no need for down time or continued self care
- can continue with your chosen sport
- treatment is spaced out every 4 weeks for the first 3 visits so there’s less need for frequent appointments
Where can I find Swift?
Our Swift machine is moved between our Elsternwick and Williamstown clinics every 2 weeks. We recommend calling our Client Experience team on 1300 185 335 to confirm the location and the availability of Swift.
If you’d prefer to book online, please be aware that our Client Experience team monitors the diary and may phone to change your appointment should the machine not be available at your chosen time.
Treatment plan
Initial appointment
Book here – Elsternwick | Book here – Williamstown
Your podiatrist will assess your wart and review your relevant medical history to decide on the most appropriate course of wart removal.
If Swift is assessed to be suitable, your first treatment will be provided during the initial consultation.
Sometimes other treatments may need to be considered, including: the use of keratolytics (mild acidic preparations) to break down the wart, cauterising agents, in-home solutions and natural remedies.
Subsequent treatments
A typical treatment plan involves 3 treatments spaced 4 weeks apart, with a review appointment at 12 weeks.
If your wart resolves sooner or shows signs of near complete healing, the number of treatments can be reduced
Before Swift
After Swift
FAQ
It will feel like a quick zap only at the specific site of contact. Similar to touching a hot tap and quickly moving your hand away. There are no lasting effects following the treatment and it can often reduce or resolve pain for those already painful warts.
It takes on average 3 appointments spaced 4 weeks apart with a fourth review after 12 weeks
Your podiatrist will be able to provide you with a more accurate timeline once you have been assessed. (This may vary depending on the size and lifespan of the wart. Other individual and medical factors also need to be considered)
Swift has the highest success rate in podiatry research at 80% and we use the latest evidence to decide on the best treatment for you. A small number of people may not respond to the treatment, which unfortunately we are unable to predict. We are therefore unable to guarantee the removal of your wart.
No, podiatrists are allowed to use Swift on warts from the knee down and from the elbows down to the hands.
No, all wart treatments cause pain to some extent. Swift therapy provides the shortest exposure to pain (5 x 1 seconds per treatment) with little pain or down time following treatment.
Sometimes your wart may appear to increase in size after the first treatment. Swift ‘draws’ the wart to the skin surface from the deeper layers (the dermis). This process ‘stirs up’ the body’s immune system to stimulate a healing response.
Common sites of exposure to HPV include communal areas such as change rooms, showers and swimming pools. We recommend using thongs in these areas to create a physical barrier between your foot and the supporting surface.
It’s also important not to share any foot related items with other members of your household e.g. nail clippers, files, razors or pumice stones. It can also be a good idea to replace any old ‘slip on’ style shoes worn without socks and to keep to a regular disinfectant/ cleaning regime in your bathroom and shower.
It takes on average 3 appointments spaced 4 weeks apart with a fourth review after 12 weeks
Your podiatrist will be able to provide you with a more accurate timeline once you have been assessed. (This may vary depending on the size and lifespan of the wart. Other individual and medical factors also need to be considered)
It’s also important not to share any foot related items with other members of your household e.g. nail clippers, files, razors or pumice stones. It can also be a good idea to replace any old ‘slip on’ style shoes worn without socks and to keep to a regular disinfectant/ cleaning regime in your bathroom and shower.