Cryotherapy for Warts
Cryotherapy involves freezing a wart using a very cold substance (usually liquid nitrogen). Cryotherapy is a common treatment for warts and can be done in a doctor's office. The liquid nitrogen treatment usually takes less than a minute.
- Your doctor may trim the wart with a small knife before applying liquid nitrogen.
- Cryotherapy can be uncomfortable. A local anesthetic to numb the area is usually not needed but may be used in some cases.
- Your doctor applies the liquid nitrogen to the wart as a spray or with a cotton swab.
Most warts need more than one treatment, with 2 to 4 weeks between each treatment.
There are over-the-counter products to freeze warts. These products are less powerful than liquid nitrogen. They may work for some warts, but it may work better to have your doctor freeze the warts.
What To Expect
Pain from cryotherapy can last for a few days. After treatment, most people heal within 4 to 7 days with little or no scarring.
Within hours after treatment, a blister may form.
- If the blister breaks, clean the area to prevent the spread of the wart virus. Avoid contact with the fluid, which may contain the wart virus.
- The blister will dry up over the next few days, and the wart may fall off.
More than one treatment may be needed to get rid of the wart.
Why It Is Done
Cryotherapy is most often used when other over-the-counter products, such as salicylic acid treatment, have not gotten rid of the wart. Or your doctor may recommend it.
Risks
Cryotherapy can cause redness, blisters, pain, or tenderness. After treatment, most people heal within 4 to 7 days with little or no scarring.
Cryotherapy can also cause skin color changes where you had the treatment. This may be more noticeable if you have darker skin.
If a wart is thick and requires extensive or repeated freezing, nerves around the wart can be damaged. Scarring may also occur, and the skin may take a long time to recover.
Current as of: October 3, 2025
Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Ignite Healthwise, LLC education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
