Common hand warts
Rough, firm growths on fingers or hands that persist or spread.
Minor procedures
Target stubborn warts with in-clinic treatment.
A clinician can confirm whether a growth appears to be a wart and determine whether liquid nitrogen treatment is appropriate.
Diagnosis before treatment
Confirm the diagnosis before freezing the skin
Not every rough or raised spot is a wart. We examine the area, consider its location and your health history, then explain cryotherapy, alternatives, likely after-effects and whether repeat treatment may be needed.
Clinical identification
Assess whether the lesion appears consistent with a common or plantar wart.
Targeted cryotherapy
Apply liquid nitrogen when the site, diagnosis and patient factors are suitable.
Aftercare plan
Know how to protect a blister, manage discomfort and recognize complications.
Wart assessment
Treatment for eligible common and plantar warts
Cryotherapy is offered only after the lesion and your healing risks are assessed. Some growths require another treatment or referral.
Plantar warts
Warts on the sole that may feel tender with standing or walking.
Multiple warts
Clusters or spreading lesions that need diagnosis and a treatment strategy.
Recurrent warts
Growths that return after earlier home or clinic treatment.
Painful or irritated warts
Lesions that catch on clothing, interfere with activity or become tender.
Uncertain skin growths
Assessment before treatment when appearance is not clearly typical.
Home-treatment review
Discuss salicylic acid, protection of surrounding skin and realistic timelines.
Repeat cryotherapy
Reassessment after healing to decide whether another session is appropriate.
What to expect
A straightforward visit from arrival to next steps
Know what happens before you arrive, while you are with the clinician and after your assessment.
1
Examine the lesion
The clinician reviews location, duration, symptoms, changes and prior treatment.
2
Confirm suitability
Discuss diagnosis, circulation, healing risk, pain, scarring and alternatives.
3
Apply liquid nitrogen
The wart is frozen for a controlled period; brief stinging or burning is expected.
4
Protect the area
Follow aftercare and return only after the site has healed enough for reassessment.
Prepare for your visit
Bring the essentials
A little preparation helps the clinician understand your health and make safer decisions.
- Ontario health card or private coverage information
- Medication, allergy and medical-condition list
- Details of diabetes, circulation problems or reduced immunity
- Names and duration of home treatments already attempted
- A clean, uncovered treatment area when practical
What causes common warts
Warts are benign skin growths caused by certain human papillomavirus types. They spread through direct contact or shared surfaces, especially when skin is damp or broken. Picking or shaving over a wart can move virus to nearby skin.
Many warts eventually disappear as the immune system responds, but this can take months or longer. Treatment may be reasonable when a wart is painful, spreading, persistent or interfering with daily activity.
Why diagnosis comes first
Calluses, corns, moles and some skin cancers can be mistaken for warts. The clinician looks at surface pattern, location and surrounding skin and asks about bleeding, growth, colour change and previous treatment.
A lesion that is rapidly changing, irregularly pigmented, repeatedly bleeding without trauma or otherwise atypical may need a different assessment or biopsy. Cryotherapy should not erase a lesion before an uncertain diagnosis is addressed.
How cryotherapy works
Liquid nitrogen freezes wart tissue. The treated area may sting, turn pale and then become red or swollen. A blister—clear or blood-filled—can form later. The aim is controlled tissue injury, not the deepest possible freeze.
More than one session may be needed, with healing time between treatments. Aggressive freezing can increase pain, blistering, pigment change and scarring, so the plan balances effectiveness with the location and patient’s healing risk.
Caring for the area
Keep the site clean and protect it from friction. An intact blister usually acts as a natural dressing. If it opens, wash gently and cover it as directed. Avoid picking the treated tissue.
Seek advice for increasing redness, warmth, pus, fever, severe pain or delayed healing. People with diabetes, reduced circulation, neuropathy or immune suppression should mention these conditions before treatment and monitor carefully.
Preventing spread and recurrence
Do not share files, pumice stones, razors, socks or footwear. Wear sandals in communal change rooms and pools, keep feet dry and cover a wart when it is likely to contact shared equipment. Avoid biting or picking at warts.
Ontario’s current fee schedule explains that wart-treatment coverage depends on specific criteria. Ask reception about the expected fee before proceeding.
Medical information is for general education and does not replace professional advice. Treatment choice and coverage depend on examination, location and individual health factors.
Before you visit
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about accessing walk-in care at our Scarborough clinic.
What does liquid nitrogen treatment feel like?
Cryotherapy commonly causes brief burning, stinging or aching during and after freezing. The area may become red, swollen or blistered. Sensitivity depends on the site, size and treatment depth.
Will one treatment remove the wart?
Not always. Warts can persist because treatment destroys visible affected tissue but the immune response and depth vary. Repeat sessions or a different approach may be recommended after healing.
Should I pop a blister after treatment?
Usually it is best to protect an intact blister. Follow the clinician's instructions. If it opens, gently clean it, use the recommended dressing and watch for spreading redness, pus, fever or increasing pain.
Can every skin growth be frozen?
No. Moles, uncertain pigmented lesions and growths suspicious for skin cancer should not be treated as routine warts. Sensitive locations, poor circulation and some health conditions also require another approach or referral.
Is wart treatment covered by OHIP?
Ontario coverage depends on the wart's location and clinical circumstances. Many routine treatments are uninsured, while certain plantar, genital, perianal, pediatric head or neck, or immunocompromised-patient treatments may meet provincial criteria. Confirm current fees before treatment.