Cryopen Treatment

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During the procedure, the area freezes and turns white. After this white area thaws, a flushing occurs and the area will turn red and a weal will form. After 2-24 hours after being frozen the weal may turn into a blister which may take several days to dissolve, however this is very rare. A crust will form over the lesion, which typically, after about 10 to 14 days, will fall off and the skin will then be healed. The skin may appear lighter in colour or pink, which then returns to its normal colour over a period of a few weeks. Lesions treated on the legs often take a little more time to heal.

For larger and deeper lesions a second crust may form making the healing time slightly longer.

Although it is best to try to leave the treated area uncovered, a plaster or simple dressing may be applied if it is in an area which may lead to rubbing and aggravation. It is important not to pick at the crust as this may lead to scarring.

Rarely. Both hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin) and hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin) may occur temporarily after cryotherapy. Both generally last for a maximum of a few months. Pigment change is more common in darker skin types.

There will be a mild sensation similar to a stinging nettle on the skin when the nitrous oxide reaches the bottom of the area. There might be a little residual stinging for a few minutes after treatment and the area can be slightly itchy for about 10 minutes after the procedure. Most patients get an anaesthetic effect from the extreme freezing temperatures.

The applicator is held as close as possible to the skin imperfection and moved quickly towards and away from it. This could be from 1-30 seconds, depending on the size and depth of the lesion. The CryoPen™ freezes at a rate of approximately 1mm per 5 seconds.

 The nitrous oxide destroys the tissue by freezing the inter-cellular fluid in a matter of seconds, forming ice shards and crystals which rupture the membrane, thereby destroying the cell. That means there will be no collateral damage to healthy tissue. It’s so incredibly accurate and practical. 

Many different superficial skin lesions can be treated with cryotherapy including viral warts, seborrhoeic keratosis, actinic keratosis and other benign lesions. It is essential that a correct diagnosis is made before treatment as we do not treat any cancerous lesions as these are more appropriately managed and followed up on the NHS. If a lesion looks suspicious of skin cancer, you will be advised to seek advice from your General Practitioner.

The treatment is very quick, usually taking a few minutes

Sterile procedure – No incision, no bleeding, no risk of infection

There is virtually no down time

The treatment is virtually painless

Cryopen uses state of the art cooling technology that doesn’t need dangerous cryogenic gases

No anaesthetic is needed

For most lesions, cryosurgery is a permanent removal. Some lesions are harder to remove than others. In more delicate places eg the eye area, a shorter freeze time with a repeat procedure may be required to get a final result with the least damage to the surrounding skin. In other instances a deep lesion eg a verruca or a wart may take several aggressive treatments to get final results

Yes, however, cautions about skin type and location should be considered prior to deciding on freeze times. People with high levels of cryo globulins should be treated with caution.

The treatment can be performed at any time of the year. During the Summer months, a sun protection factor 50 (SPF50) must be applied at least 30 before sun exposure and reapplied every 4 hours.