Cryotherapy is one of the most popular and successful methods of wart removal. It is also known as icing. It kills the skin cells of the wart and the viruses that caused it. Cryotherapy can be carried out using a cold spray or a cold probe.
Here you will find further information and selected specialists for cryotherapy for warts.
Cryotherapy is also known colloquially as icing. It is a cold treatment that is used to destroy unwanted tissue, e.g. a wart. The cold is applied to a localized area. In the case of warts, this is their surface.
The icing destroys the diseased tissue, which then generally falls off on its own.
Cryotherapy is not only established for warts, but also for other conditions. It is now an indispensable part of medicine.
Icing usually involves the use of liquid nitrogen, sometimes also liquid nitrous oxide or dry ice. The substance is often sprayed onto the affected area of skin in the form of a spray.
Alternatively, a cold probe can also be used. This allows the nitrogen to be applied exactly where it is needed.
The major advantage of cryotherapy is the lack of scarring. Surgical removal would always result in scars.
However, cryotherapy can cause severe pain in many people. The cold treatment is therefore very unpleasant.
Cryotherapy is mainly used to remove warts. Almost all types of warts can be removed using cryotherapy.
However, warts on sensitive areas of the body are excluded. These can be warts on the eyes or mucous membranes, for example. If the ice-cold liquid nitrogen reaches the wrong area, the consequences can be serious.
If you are unsure whether you can treat your wart with cryotherapy, be sure to ask your doctor!
Other uses for cryotherapy are
It is usually advisable to use a cold probe. It enables precise application. With icing sprays, the risk of damaging surrounding tissue is significantly greater. In addition, temperatures are not as cold as with the cold probe.
A cold probe is made of metal. It is placed on the wart and precisely releases a small amount of nitrogen. The intense cold that acts on the wart causes many small ice crystals to form. These in turn cause the wart tissue to die.
Most warts also fall off on their own a few days after cryotherapy.
In principle, a single icing of the respective wart is sufficient. Repeated application may be necessary, especially if cryotherapy is carried out independently. In this case, part of the wart often remains due to a lack of knowledge. Without a new treatment, the wart can form again completely.
This is rarely the case with icing performed by a specialist. The doctor applies such low temperatures that the wart is completely iced over.
Nevertheless, repeated cold treatment may still be necessary. This depends in particular on the type of wart, its number and location.
Cryotherapy should be repeated if the wart is still clearly visible after two to three weeks. This is the only way a wart can be completely removed by cryotherapy.
Use of a cold probe for wart removal © nuengneng | AdobeStock
First, the doctor will thoroughly clean the area of the body with the wart. During cryotherapy
are killed.
The temperature applied is -196 degrees Celsius. Most people feel a strong stinging sensation during the treatment, but this is described as tolerable.
For people who are very sensitive to pain, cryotherapy can lead to severe pain and an unpleasant situation. For this reason, an anesthetic can be used in such cases. The cold treatment is then somewhat less unpleasant.
During freezing, the wart turns white. This indicates that the skin cells of the wart and the viruses responsible have died.
Approximately 20 minutes after the doctor has iced the wart, an orange-colored blister forms. Within a few days, this blister flattens out and the newly formed skin cells appear.
Cryotherapy is generally harmless.
However, side effects can still occur. These sometimes include severe pain. These are often even greater when the doctor uses a lower temperature. If you are sensitive to pain, a light local anesthetic can help.
If you carry out the cold therapy yourself, be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging. If you expose the wart to the cold for too long, the surrounding tissue may be affected. This can lead to scarring or even nerve damage.
Independent icing should only be used for
should be performed. If the wart is still present after three attempts, discontinue self-treatment. You should then consult a doctor.
A blister will form in the area of the cold application. This allows the skin underneath to regenerate. The area may also hurt during this time. As the wart subsides, the pain will also subside after a few days.
Do not try to remove, prick or scratch the blister. There would be a high risk of infection and inflammation. This can also affect the renewal of the skin and possibly contribute to the formation of scars.
This blister should also be distinguished from a possible blood blister. Blood blisters occur when blood vessels are damaged during cryotherapy of the wart. You should keep an eye on this and ask a doctor for advice if you have severe symptoms.
Some people are advised against self-treatment with cryotherapy. These include
In general, a doctor knows what he is doing. They can remove the wart professionally. Self-treatment is more likely to cause side effects.
Products for self-treatment of warts are available from drugstores or pharmacies. Many people are embarrassed to go to the doctor because of a wart. It is therefore tempting to first try to get rid of the wart yourself.
There are a few things to bear in mind when carrying out cryotherapy.
First of all, you need to be sure that the skin growth is actually a wart. If in doubt, you should see a doctor.
There are different types of icing available. It is usually advisable to start cold therapy with an inexpensive product first. A consultation at the pharmacy can also be very helpful here.
Clean the wart immediately before cryotherapy. Normal washing with water and thorough drying are sufficient.
Also follow the instructions on the package insert exactly.
Applying a cold spray is usually the simplest method of icing. This spray is sprayed directly onto the wart at a distance of a few centimeters. Make sure you only hit the wart. In some cases this is not very easy and requires a precise approach. A test spray on a cloth is therefore highly recommended.
Even when using a cold probe, take care to protect the surrounding skin.
Leave the wart alone for three weeks after application. Do not try to scrape off or remove the wart. This could lead to inflammation and infection.
If swelling or redness occurs, consult a doctor.
