What should you know about wart removal nitrogen freezing?

The clinician applies a very cold nitrogen-based spray or probe to the wart and a small margin around it. You may feel cold, stinging or aching during the application. The treated skin can become red, swollen or blistered, and a scab may form as it heals.

The wart may not disappear immediately. A thick or longstanding wart, especially on a finger, toe or sole, may need reassessment and more than one treatment session. The clinician chooses the exposure according to the wart's location, thickness and surrounding skin.

Follow the clinic's dressing advice and keep the area clean. If a blister forms, do not deliberately pierce or peel it; protect it from friction and let the skin settle. Use loose footwear for a treated foot and avoid swimming or activities that soak the dressing until you have been advised that it is suitable.

Do not shave, cut or file the treated wart unless your clinician specifically recommends it. Wash your hands after touching the area and avoid sharing towels, socks or nail equipment.

Contact a clinician promptly if pain becomes severe, redness spreads, swelling keeps increasing, pus develops, fever occurs, or the area becomes numb. Seek assessment for persistent bleeding, a blister that is difficult to protect, or a growth that changes, ulcerates or fails to match the original diagnosis.

Ask whether the lesion is suitable for freezing, what the expected blister or scab should look like, how to dress it, when to return, and what to do if the treatment affects walking or hand use. Ask about alternatives if the wart remains.