Although most warts are harmless and sometimes disappear on their own, for many people they cause aesthetic or physical discomfort.
At "InSense Clinic", dermatologists perform wart removal applying various methods, one of most popular being cryotherapy, i.e., removal with liquid nitrogen. This procedure is characterized by high effectiveness, short performance duration, and minimal recovery period.
Wart removal can be considered in various situations. One of most common reasons is physical discomfort, especially when warts appear on foot soles and cause pain when walking. Removal is also relevant for aesthetic reasons, especially when formations are large, prominent, or there are several of them.
Warts are contagious and can spread to other body areas or be transmitted to other people through direct contact. For this reason, early removal can help reduce their spreading risk.
It is important to mention that before wart removal, during dermatologist consultation, skin lesion is evaluated and it is confirmed that it is indeed wart and not another skin change.
At "InSense Clinic", several methods are applied for wart treatment, which are selected considering wart type, size, localization, and individual patient situation.
Cryotherapy is one of most commonly applied wart removal methods. During procedure, wart is affected by liquid nitrogen, whose temperature reaches about -196°C. This extremely low temperature causes rapid tissue freezing, due to which wart cells die. After few days, blister forms, which gradually dries, and wart gradually separates from surrounding skin.
Wart removal with nitrogen is characterized by several advantages: procedure takes only few minutes, requires no incisions, and skin usually recovers within 1–2 weeks. For large or deep warts, several procedures may be needed, performed at 2–4 week intervals.
Electrosurgery is method during which wart is removed with high-frequency electric current. High-frequency electric current burns wart tissues while coagulating blood vessels and reducing bleeding risk. This method is more commonly applied for smaller warts or cases when cryotherapy is not most suitable.
Curettage is mechanical wart removal with special instrument (curette). This method is often combined with electrosurgery or cryotherapy to ensure complete lesion removal and reduce recurrence probability. Local anesthesia is applied before procedure.
Before procedure, dermatologist examines skin lesion and confirms diagnosis. If needed, dermatoscopic examination is performed, allowing more detailed evaluation of lesion structure.
During cryotherapy, liquid nitrogen is applied directly to wart with special applicator or sprayed on affected area. Procedure takes from few seconds to one minute, depending on wart size. During it, short-term burning or tingling sensation may be felt.
If electrosurgery or curettage is applied, local anesthesia is injected beforehand, so procedure proceeds without pain. On average, single wart removal takes 5–15 minutes.
After cryotherapy procedure, blister or scab can form at wart site – this is normal body reaction. Within few days or weeks, blister dries, and skin naturally renews. During healing period, it is worth not touching and not scratching formed scab to avoid infection or scar formation.
It is worth avoiding direct water contact with wound for first 24–48 hours, protecting area from direct sun rays. If strong pain, redness, or purulent discharge appears, it is worth contacting doctor.
Warts in children are common because their immune system is still forming, so human papillomavirus is more easily contracted. Most commonly they appear on hands and feet. Removal is applied using same methods as for adults, but decision is made individually, evaluating child's age, wart location, and discomfort. If wart does not interfere, sometimes it is worth monitoring it, as in children they often disappear on their own.
