Warts often need to be "burned" off. But be careful: these aren't necessarily high temperatures, quite the contrary. The treatment is known as cryotherapy – from the Greek “kryos”, to freeze – and makes use of substances at extremely low temperatures that freeze the infected area causing cell death via thermal shock. The most commonly used substance is liquid nitrogen, but cryotherapy can also use alternative substances like freon (halogenated gases), carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.

WHEN IS CRYOTHERAPY REQUIRED

Warts can usually be treated using plasters that contain salicylic acid, which penetrates into the skin and removes infected tissue thanks to its exfoliating properties. Resorting to cryotherapy, i.e., rapidly freezing the injured skin, is advisable if the wart remains after a treatment cycle with a plaster.

SPRAY, STICK OR PROBE

Cryotherapy may be administered with a variety of techniques and devices. The first is the classic spray bottle for direct administration on the lesion. Next come the dipstick, which is used to hold a swab soaked in liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart, and the pen-like probe, also known as a cryoprobe, whose extremity is soaked in liquid nitrogen.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER CRYOTHERAPY

Following treatment a boil forms over the infected area and the wart will subsequently fall off leaving a grazed area, which will eventually be covered by healthy new skin.
The area should be inspected a month after application and, if the wart is still present a doctor should be consulted and the treatment repeated.

USEFUL CRYOTHERAPY

Cryotherapy is generally useful for wart removal, and the treatment protocols are recognized by the international medical community. In some cases it may have undesired effects.