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Freezing a skin growth sounds simple, but the right diagnosis matters before liquid nitrogen is used.
We explain what is being treated, what the freezing will feel like, and what blistering, crusting, or color change can look like afterward.
Cryotherapy is commonly used for selected warts, actinic keratoses, and benign growths.
Dermatologic Cryotherapy with Liquid Nitrogen
Dermatologic cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze selected skin lesions. It is different from whole-body or “wellness” cryotherapy.
What can liquid-nitrogen cryotherapy treat?
Depending on the diagnosis, cryotherapy may be used for selected warts, actinic keratoses and other benign or precancerous lesions. Not every growth should be frozen.
What happens during treatment?
Liquid nitrogen is applied directly to the lesion for a controlled period. The area may sting or burn briefly and can become red, swollen or blistered afterward.
How does the area heal?
A blister or crust may form and then resolve over several days to a few weeks depending on lesion size, location and treatment intensity. Some lesions require repeat treatment.
What are the risks?
Possible effects include pain, blistering, infection, scarring and temporary or permanent pigment change. Light spots can be especially noticeable in darker skin tones.
When should a lesion be biopsied instead?
Suspicious pigmented lesions and growths that require a tissue diagnosis should generally be biopsied rather than destroyed without pathologic examination.
Cryotherapy on Long Island
If you are searching for cryotherapy for a wart, actinic keratosis or another skin lesion, make sure you are looking for dermatologic liquid-nitrogen treatment rather than whole-body cryotherapy.