Warts: Removal by Freezing
How can my wart be removed?
Warts can be removed in a number
of ways. One way is called cryosurgery(freezing the
wart). This 2-step process removes the wart without
hurting the skin around it.
The first step is getting your
wart ready to be removed. You can help with this step. The
second step is freezing the wart, which will be done by your
doctor in his or her office. You may need to have several
freezing treatments before the wart is completely removed.
What do I need to do?
You must do some things on your
own at home to get the wart ready for removal. Doing these
things before you come to your doctor's office can reduce the
number of freezing treatments you need. You should do the
following:
- Every night for 2 weeks, clean
the wart with soap and water and put 17% salicylic acid gel
(one brand name: Compound W) on it.
- After putting on the gel,
cover the wart with a piece of 40% salicylic acid pad (one
brand name: Mediplast). Cut the pad so that it is a little
bit bigger than the wart. The pad has a sticky backing that
will help it stay on the wart.
- Leave the pad on the wart for
24 hours. If the area becomes very sore or red, stop using
the gel and pad and call your doctor's office.
- After you take the pad off,
clean the area with soap and water, put more gel on the wart
and put on another pad. If you are very active during the
day and the pad moves off the wart, you can leave the area
uncovered during the day and only wear the pad at night.
What happens next?
After 2 weeks of this treatment,
your wart will have turned white and will look fluffy. Your
doctor will then be able to remove the white skin layer
covering the wart and use cryosurgery to freeze the base
(root) of the wart. If your skin reacts strongly to cold, tell
your doctor before cryosurgery.
Cryosurgery can be uncomfortable,
but it usually isn't too painful. The freezing is somewhat
numbing. When your doctor places the instrument on your skin
to freeze the wart, it will feel like an ice cube is stuck to
your skin. Afterward, you may feel a burning sensation as your
skin thaws out.
Healing after cryosurgery usually
doesn't take long. You will probably be able to enjoy all your
usual activities while you heal, including bathing or
showering. Cryosurgery leaves little or no scar. After the
area has healed, the treated skin may be a bit lighter in
color than the skin around it.
