• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19)
Important information about Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): LEARN MORE

Elite SkinMD
  • Patient Portal
  • Online Bill Pay
  • Request an Appointment
  • CALL TODAY: (908) 787-8088
  • Meet the Team
  • Services
    • Medical Dermatology
    • Skin Surgery
    • Cosmetic Dermatology
    • Body Sculpting
    • Laser & Light Therapy
    • Radiofrequency Microneedling
  • Skin Cancer & Mohs Surgery
  • Skin Care Solutions
  • Patient Resources
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us

Cryotherapy

  • Introduction
  • Treatment

Introduction

Cryotherapy is a painless, in-office procedure. It is a freezing method used to remove benign skin lesions. Well-defined lesions and tumors are ideal for freezing, as the doctor can easily identify and treat the appropriate area.

Cryotherapy is also called cryosurgery. It is a low-cost, effective treatment for skin lesions such as actinic keratosis, solar lentigo, seborrheic keratosis, viral wart, molluscum contagiosum, and dermatofibroma.

Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the cells. When the cells thaw, they die. When the cells die, the treated area will shrink and fall off. New, healthy skin cells will regenerate.

Back to top

Treatment

The doctor will apply liquid nitrogen with a spray device or cotton-tipped applicator to the unwanted skin tag or lesion. No cutting or anesthesia is required. The amount of time it takes to freeze the lesion can range from 5 to 30 seconds, depending on the lesion.

The treated area may be red and swollen initially, but this is a short-lived side effect. Other possible side effects include bleeding, headache, or local hair loss, especially with longer freeze times. Some people may experience loss of pigmentation or blister formation at the site of treatment, but scarring is rare.

A single treatment is sufficient for most types of lesions, while some people may require an additional one or two treatments over the course of four to eight weeks.

Back to top

Copyright ©  - iHealthSpot Interactive - www.iHealthSpot.com

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

The iHealthSpot patient education library was written collaboratively by the iHealthSpot editorial team which includes Senior Medical Authors Dr. Mary Car-Blanchard, OTD/OTR/L and Valerie K. Clark, and the following editorial advisors: Steve Meadows, MD, Ernie F. Soto, DDS, Ronald J. Glatzer, MD, Jonathan Rosenberg, MD, Christopher M. Nolte, MD, David Applebaum, MD, Jonathan M. Tarrash, MD, and Paula Soto, RN/BSN. This content complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The library commenced development on September 1, 2005 with the latest update/addition on February 16, 2022. For information on iHealthSpot’s other services including medical website design, visit www.iHealthSpot.com.

Footer

BEFORE & AFTER Gallery

View our gallery of before and after photos.

LEARN MORE

OUR BLOG

Keep up with the latest developments in skin care, as well as news about our practice, what our providers are up to, and events we sponsor.

LEARN MORE

PATIENT EDUCATION

From symptoms and diagnosis to treatment and prevention, learn about common dermatology conditions in our interactive patient education library.

LEARN MORE

  • Home
  • Request an Appointment
  • Online Bill Pay
  • Patient Portal
  • Meet the Team
  • Services
  • Skin Cancer & Mohs Surgery
  • Skin Care Solutions
  • Patient Resources
  • Testimonials
  • Patient Education
  • Contact Us
  • HIPAA Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap

Elite SkinMD

5 Mountain Blvd., Suite 2
Warren, NJ 07059

Phone: (908) 787-8088
Fax: (908) 368-8648

Copyright © Elite SkinMD. All rights reserved.

[ih_bug image="white" width="200px"]

At Elite SkinMD, Dr. Rebecca Lu provides Medical Dermatology, Skin Surgery, Cosmetic Dermatology, Body Sculpting, Laser & Light Therapy, and Radiofrequency Microneedling.