Cryotherapy or cryosurgery is a procedure that uses liquid nitrogen to treat a broad range of benign skin problems. A doctor may recommend cryotherapy if you have warts, acne, and precancerous or benign growths on your skin.
What Happens During Cryotherapy?
The physician applies the liquid nitrogen using either a spray can or a cotton-tipped swab and freezes the problematic skin tissue. During the procedure, you may feel a stinging or burning sensation, which is normal. Afterward, the skin exposed to liquid nitrogen will begin to form a blister. Eventually, a scab will form over the blister. Patients are advised not to touch the blister and not to break it open. It will eventually form a scab, and even then, leave it alone. After a few weeks, the scab should fall off and take the skin lesion along with it.
The entire process is fairly quick and can easily fit into your schedule. Oftentimes, a single session of cryotherapy suffices.
Considerations for Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy for skin lesions may cause the skin where the lesion once was to appear whiter, or hypopigmented, with a hyperpigmented rim. For this reason, cryotherapy is often best suited for use in patients with lighter skin or in places where pigmentation differences won’t be too big of a concern. Cryotherapy also produces the best results on areas of the skin that do not have a thick growth of hair.
Caring for Your Skin After the Procedure
Recovery from cryotherapy requires very little maintenance. Wash the area with fragrance-free soap daily and apply healing ointment for the first two weeks following the procedure. Over the next few weeks, the blister may drain or bleed, make sure to ask your doctor what to do in case this happens. For draining, your doctor may recommend that you place a Band-Aid over the blister. If it bleeds, they may advise you to apply pressure on it using a sterile gauze pad.
What Can Cryotherapy Treat?
It can be used to treat a variety of skin conditions, such as:
- Actinic Keratosis
- Solar Lentigo
- Seborrheic Keratosis
- Viral Warts
- Molluscum Contagiosum
- Dermatofibroma
There are risks associated with any surgical procedure, and for cryotherapy, there is a risk of bleeding, hair loss, and hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation. Make sure to discuss the risks with your doctor, so they can give you advice on how to reduce negative outcomes, including infection and scarring.
Cryotherapy for Skin Lesion Removal in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Dr. Rani Anbarasu of Star Medical Associates offers cryotherapy for skin lesion removal. The procedure is available on-site and is quick and relatively painless. Dr. Anbarasu will make sure you are comfortable and relaxed during the procedure.
If you are interested in cryotherapy for the treatment of your skin condition, come in for a consultation with Dr. Anbarasu. She will provide effective options for treatment. To schedule your visit, call our Denton clinic at (940) 382-6900 or our Frisco clinic at (469) 301-2300. You can also send an appointment request using our convenient online form.
