Freezing Treatment for Skin Growths
In freezing treatment, the skin growth being treated is frozen with liquid nitrogen (−196 °C). This creates a small, controlled frostbite injury in the surface layer of the skin, which heals with new skin or, when treating skin cancer, with a small scar. The strength and extent of the treatment are adjusted according to the skin growth being treated.
Freezing treatment, i.e. cryotherapy, may help when treating
- Solar keratoses, i.e. actinic keratoses
- Certain basal cell carcinomas
- Superficial precancerous stages of squamous cell carcinomas
- Warts and seborrheic keratoses
- Keloid scars
- Lentigo pigmentation spots.
Freezing Treatment, i.e. Cryotherapy — The Procedure and Recovery
During freezing treatment and immediately after it, a local stinging or burning sensation may be felt on the skin. The treated area usually becomes red, and it may swell, leak fluid, or develop a fluid-filled blister.
A scab forms on the treated area in about a week. Depending on the intensity of the treatment, the total healing time is 1–6 weeks. After the scab has fallen off, the treated area may remain red for a long time.
Loss of pigmentation and hair loss may sometimes occur in the treated area. The treated area should be well protected from the sun for at least a couple of months after the treatment. Sometimes, treating the skin growth may require several freezing treatment sessions.
