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Cryotherapy.

Writer's picture: meliandeery4meliandeery4

This treat is may be offered for precancerous skin cells, warts and skin tags. It may be occasionally used for skin cancers, but is not the preferred treatment choice.


Abnormal skin cells are frozen with therapeutic liquid nitrogen at -196 ° C.

After treatment you may shower and wash the area as usual. If treated areas

become more tender or redness increases, please call us and ask for a review on

6109 0000.


Possible immediate side effects:

Pain – discomfort at the time and for a variable time following the procedure.

Swelling and redness – this is a normal and usually settles in a few days.

Cryotherapy close to the eyes may induce prominent puffiness of the lower

eyelids which settles within days.

Blistering – this is common and sometimes the blisters are filled with blood.

This is harmless. If painful, a blister may be burst with a clean needle. We do

not recommend this as it can introduce infection. If a blister breaks, wipe the

area with antiseptic.

Scabbing – facial scabbing lasts around 7 days. Hands often blister, then

scab, healing in 3 weeks. The legs may take 6-12 weeks to heal.

Infection – (uncommon) increased pain, redness and discharge. Please seek

prompt medical treatment from the practice as you may need antibiotics.

Possible long term side effects:

Scarring – you may be left with a pale mark or a flat white scar.

Hypertrophic/Keloid scarring – very rarely a raised firm scar can form.

Numbness - if a superficial nerve is frozen, it may result in numbness of the

area of skin supplied by that nerve. Normal feeling may return within months.

Recurrence – treatment may fail, or the growth may recur. You may need a repeat

treatment or a different treatment. It is important to return to see your doctor if the

skin lesion returns and very important if it is growing - this may be a sign of skin cancer.

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