Warts are unnatural growths on the skin caused by low-risk Human Papillomavirus.
These skin lesions can be of different shape and sizes, ranging from tiny filiform warts on neck to huge verrucas on feet that can make people worry.
While Cryotherapy wart removal with freezing liquid nitrogen is one of the most popular treatment option — does it really work?
Just read on, or click on below to go straight to the section.
1. How does Liquid Nitrogen Wart Removal Work?
2. Cryotherapy Wart Removal by Doctors – Demo Videos
- Cryotherapy wart removal Cost
- Liquid nitrogen wart removal Side Effects
- Does Cryotherapy work: What do Patients Say?
- Cryotherapy liquid nitrogen wart removal Aftercare
3. Over The Counter Liquid Nitrogen Wart Removal Kit
4. Freezing A Wart Stages: Liquid Nitrogen Removal Timeline
How Does Liquid Nitrogen Wart Removal Work?
Liquid nitrogen is a low-temperature liquid. To give you a thought of exactly how cold this liquid is, it has a boiling point of -321°F (-196°C), while water boils at +212°F (+100°C).
When the cold liquid nitrogen is splashed onto the wart, it freezes the tissue dead.
After the encompassing tissue defrosts, the injury will in the long run scab over and mend, yet that annoying wart will be no more.
There are mainly 2 ways that a wart patient can use liquid nitrogen to freeze off a wart:
Option #1: Cryotherapy Wart Removal by Doctors
Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy is what dermatologists use most often to cure warts, says the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD).
This treatment destroys a wart by freezing it with liquid nitrogen, causes a blister to be formed. When the blister peels off, all or part of the verruca peels off as well.
While local anesthesia is usually not required, the doctor may apply anesthetic numbing cream before freezing wart off, in order to reduce the pain level during the treatment process.
You may expect a few visits to your health care provider while being treated with liquid nitrogen to get rid of a wart. This is because the liquid nitrogen might have to be applied more than a single time before the wart is totally removed.
According to the reputable Patient.info UK:
Sometimes thicker warts or verrucas need two or more sessions of liquid nitrogen treatment over a period of a few weeks to get to the root. It may work but is no more effective than over-the-counter treatment with salicylic acid.
Related read: Best Salicylic Acid and OTC Wart Removers Review
Watch this excellent video, in which Dr Paul Thomas MD demonstrated and explained the Cryotherapy wart treatment step-by-step from start to finish, using liquid nitrogen to freeze off plantar wart on a young girl’s toe.
In video below, Jacob Levitt MD demonstrated freezing a common wart on finger with liquid nitrogen, by using a probe.
Cryotherapy Wart Removal Cost by Medical Professionals
Number of warts to be removed, alongside cost of living of the country and city where the Cryotherapy is taken, are among the factors that influence the cost.
While you should check with your local medical institute to determine the exact wart surgery cost, refer below table for your quick reference to get a feel of the consultation fee and freezing wart removal cost range.
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USA *
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New York *
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UK *
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London *
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Consultation
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–
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USD $350 – $450
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£50
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£179
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Follow Up
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–
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–
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£80 (3-4 sessions may be required)
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£119
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Cryotherapy
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USD $610 (include 3~4 follow up)
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–
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£160 (1-3 warts), £250 (4-6 warts)
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–
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Wart Removal
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–
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USD $450 (1-5 warts), USD $550 (5-10 warts)
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–
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From £299
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Additional Wart Removal
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–
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–
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–
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From £199
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* Sources of above cost reference table:
Cryotherapy Liquid Nitrogen Wart Removal Side Effects
WebMD found that the number and severity of side effects depend on the number of freezing cycles used during cryotherapy and how large an area was treated.
One drawback of Cryotherapy is that it can be a uncomfortable and painful process. As different individuals may have different pain tolerance levels, Cryotherapy for wart removal may not be appropriate for young children and some individuals.
According to study published by U.S. National Library of Medicine, the side effects of liquid nitrogen wart removal may include:
- pain
- blistering
- scarring
- skin irritation
- skin pigmentation
- crust
In the event that a wart is thick and requires broad or rehashed freezing, nerves around the wart can be harmed, scarring may happen, and the skin may set aside a long opportunity to recuperate.
Cryotherapy Wart Removal Reviews: What Do Patients Say?
* I have had warts frozen off and so has my daughter. It is really easy and it didn’t hurt at all. / jcjwillis @ HealthBoards
* I had several on my foot years ago that I had had for many years. It took quite a few visits to the doctor’s office to get them frozen every week or two. It was quite painful for a day or two after the treatment. Did get rid of them, finally. / NLBWell @ Tennis Warehouse
* My son had a massive verruca. We’d go to the dr’s every month to freeze it off, didn’t work after 12 months the dr said leave it when the body realises its there it will get rid of it. sure enough he got up 1 morning and it was gone. / Caroline Duncan @ Salon Geek
* I have a 9 year old son who had 3 warts on his left hand (two on his ring finger and one on his palm). He had them for about 2 years and we tried freezing them off as well as treating them with “beetle juice” from the pediatricians office. He said “Mom let’s just cut my finger off” (rather than do the freezing again). / Anonymous @ Gordon’s Notes
Cryotherapy Liquid Nitrogen Wart Removal Aftercare
Most patients will fully recover in a few weeks after freezing the wart blister off, though there are also cases that take longer period to recover. The doctor and healthcare practitioner will advise aftercare to be taken to ensure proper healing.
Things to take note may include:
- Take doctor prescribed painkillers to make you more comfortable if the wound remains painful after Cryotherapy treatment.
- Do not scratch or touch the wound area.
- Avoid strenuous exercise for a few days, such as avoid playing sport or jogging.
- If liquid nitrogen is used to remove your plantar wart on the sole of the feet, you will have to put less weight on your foot to minimize soreness later.
- Follow up visits to doctor may be necessary. Contact your doctor if your wound encounter severe pain, bad-smelling or yellowish discharge which may mean an infection.
Option #2: OTC Liquid Nitrogen Wart Removal Kit
The utilization of liquid nitrogen as a technique for wart removal began in the medical field and was performed by medicinal experts.
Over the counter liquid nitrogen wart removal kit and products are then developed by manufacturers that allow freezing wart at home.
These OTC liquid nitrogen tools have made the home treatment process simple, easy and affordable to remove warts without having to carry out any expensive surgery or take any harmful medicines — in which the OTC kits are ergonomically designed to shield users from exposure to the freezing chemicals.
The cost of OTC freeze off wart remover is much less expensive than a visit to the medicinal center. Currently the most popular liquid nitrogen wart removal kits on the market are Dr Scholl’s Freeze Away Wart Remover and Compound W Freeze Off Wart Remover
Related read: Can Dr Scholl’s Freeze Away Wart Remover Used On Genital Warts?
Here is a video on how to use Dr. Scholl’s Dual Action Freeze Away Wart remover to get rid of verrucas on foot.
While below is another video on using Compound W Freeze Off Wart Remover to treat common wart on finger.
>> Check out more home wart freeze off experience sharing by actual users at Amazon.com
Freezing A Wart Stages: Liquid Nitrogen Removal Timeline
In spite of the fact that warts mainly occur in children and young adults, warts can occur in individuals of any age. Since warts are an aftereffect of a virus, they are spread by direct contact such are only touching a wart.
Warts regularly will vanish after some time, however there is no particular timetable for this. Most warts will vanish from the skin inside weeks or months; be that as it may, a few warts may take years to die down. The insusceptible framework assumes an expansive part in one’s helplessness to warts.
After going through cryotherapy wart treatment or OTC liquid nitrogen freezing kit at home, the location and type of the wart will determine how long it takes to fall off till it is completely dead. The frozen wart may go through several stages like turning black or dark, dying, until it is healed and gone – which can take 3 to 7 days. For stubborn and thicker wart, liquid nitrogen might have to be applied more than a single time before the wart is totally removed.
Related read: How Do You Know When a Wart or Verruca is Dying or Completely Gone?
