What should you know about cautery warts?

Warts are rough growths caused by a viral infection in the outer skin. They can occur on hands, feet, or other body sites and may spread through direct contact or shared surfaces. Cautery removes or destroys the treated tissue, but it may not eliminate virus from nearby skin, so a wart can recur or another wart can develop. A clinician may avoid cautery when the diagnosis is uncertain or when the site needs a different approach.

Do not shave, cut, or burn a wart yourself, and avoid sharing towels, nail tools, or footwear when a wart is on the hands or feet. After cautery, keep the area clean and covered as advised, avoid picking the crust, and wash hands after touching it. Discuss activity and footwear if the treated site bears weight. Other options may include [Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal)](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/cryotherapy-lesion-removal/) or [Imiquimod Treatment](/treatments/medical-dermatology/imiquimod-therapy/).

Have a wart checked if it bleeds, changes quickly, becomes very painful, or is located on the face, genitals, or near a nail. After cautery, contact the clinic for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pus, fever, uncontrolled bleeding, or pain that worsens instead of settling. People with reduced immunity or poor circulation should seek individual advice before treatment.

Ask whether the growth is definitely a wart, why cautery is suitable for its site, how to protect nearby skin, and what healing should look like. Discuss recurrence, contagious spread, pain relief, dressing changes, and when another treatment such as [Wart Removal](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/wart-removal/) would be considered.