Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal tissue, such as plantar warts, offering a quick, effective in-clinic treatment without surgery. It’s one of the most common first-line treatments for stubborn skin lesions on the foot.

This page covers how cryotherapy works, how it compares to surgical removal, and what to expect from treatment.

What Is Cryotherapy
for Plantar Warts (Verrucae Plantaris)?

Cryotherapy is a treatment that applies extreme cold, typically liquid nitrogen, to freeze and destroy abnormal or infected tissue, most commonly plantar warts. The freezing process damages the affected cells, prompting the body to naturally shed the tissue over the following days to weeks as healthy skin regenerates underneath.

How It Works

Your podiatrist applies the freezing agent directly to the wart or lesion, causing the water within the cells to crystallise and destroy the tissue. This also triggers a mild local immune response, which can help the body clear any underlying viral infection, such as HPV in the case of plantar warts.

Several sessions are often needed, spaced a few weeks apart, for full resolution.

How It Compares to Wart Excision

Feature

Cryotherapy

Wart Excision

Invasiveness

Non-invasive, no incision or stitches

Minor surgical procedure with local anaesthesia

Downtime

Minimal, resume activity the same day

A few days of recovery

Sessions Needed

Often multiple sessions, spaced weeks apart

Usually a single procedure

Best Suited For

Smaller or newer warts

Deeper, larger, or more resistant warts

Your podiatrist will recommend the best option based on the wart’s size, depth, and location.

How It Compares to Wart Excision

Your podiatrist will recommend the best option based on the wart’s size, depth, and location.

What to Expect

The procedure itself is brief, typically taking only a few minutes. You may feel a stinging or burning sensation as the treatment is applied, which subsides shortly after. No anaesthesia is usually required, and most patients can walk out and resume normal activity the same day.

A blister may form over the treated area within a day or two, which is normal. Keeping the area clean and dry, and avoiding picking at the blister, helps prevent infection and supports proper healing. We schedule follow-up sessions based on how the lesion responds.

Freeze the Wart Away

We perform in-clinic cryotherapy for plantar warts and other suitable skin lesions, with a treatment plan tailored to the lesion’s size and depth. We schedule follow-up sessions as needed to ensure full resolution.

Our Clinic

By appointment only

Cryotherapy

What Is Cryotherapy
for Plantar Warts (Verrucae Plantaris)?

How It Works