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Warts and corns
Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy for plantar and common warts, and how they differ from corns.
Warts are benign growths caused on the skin by the human papillomavirus (HPV). On the sole, pressure pushes them inwards and they hurt when you walk. A corn, by contrast, is not a virus but the skin’s response to long-term friction and pressure. Confusing the two makes treatment longer.
How cryotherapy is done
The wart is frozen with liquid nitrogen for a few seconds. No cutting is needed and it is usually done without anaesthesia, but there is a short, cold burning feeling. A blister may form over the following days. Because plantar warts lie deep, several sessions 2-3 weeks apart are usually needed.
What is important to know
- Some warts clear on their own over time, but this can take months or years
- For plantar warts, cryotherapy and salicylic acid gave similar results in studies; we choose the method together
- Picking or cutting a wart spreads the virus
- Your own flip-flops at pools and gyms and not sharing towels help prevent infection