What is cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy, or freezing, is an inexpensive and reliable way of getting rid of various types of surface skin lesions, like warts or skin tags or sun damage. It can be done in a General Practice surgery. Please specify that you require cryotherapy when booking the appointment. How does cryotherapy work? Cryotherapy/ freezing works just as it sounds: extreme cold in the form of liquid nitrogen is applied to the lesions one by one, freezing them and safely destroying them. This allows normal, healthy skin cells to grow back in their place.
Each application takes a few seconds. While it may briefly sting this will fade, though there may be moderate blistering of the area afterwards. Some people will find it to be painful for a short while after. If a lesion is particularly resistant, repeat treatments may be required.
What to expect after cryotherapy treatment?
After your cryotherapy treatment, you may experience swelling, redness, blistering and crusting, but once this heals – usually within a few days to a couple of weeks – scarring is unlikely if the treatment was light. Intensive cryotherapy may leave permanent faint scarring or discolouration; however, this is generally significantly less than with more invasive surgical treatments.