Cauterisation of Warts

A wart is a localised skin growth commonly linked with human papillomavirus. Cauterisation uses heat delivered through a medical device to damage the wart, sometimes after the surface is pared down and the area is numbed. The treated spot may form a scab before new skin develops. The virus can remain in surrounding skin, so a wart may recur or another wart may appear; treatment does not make the area immune to future infection. A clinician should check any lesion that is atypical, bleeding, or not clearly a wart.

Tell the clinician about diabetes, poor circulation, reduced sensation, immune problems, medicines that affect bleeding, and a history of thick scars. Keep the treated area clean and dry according to the instructions, do not pull off the scab, and avoid sharing towels, nail tools, or footwear. Depending on the wart’s site and thickness, options may include [Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal)](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/cryotherapy-lesion-removal/), [Electrosurgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/electrosurgery/), or other [Wart Removal](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/wart-removal/) methods.

Contact the clinic for worsening pain, spreading redness, warmth, pus, persistent bleeding, or a wound that is not healing. Seek urgent care for fever with rapidly spreading redness, severe swelling, or signs of a serious allergic reaction. Have the lesion reviewed if it changes substantially, returns repeatedly, or fails to behave like a typical wart.

Ask why cauterisation is suitable, whether the lesion needs testing, how the area will be numbed, what wound care is required, and how activity should be adjusted while it heals. Ask what to do if the wart returns and whether [Imiquimod Treatment](/treatments/medical-dermatology/imiquimod-therapy/) is appropriate for its location.