This is performed by cryotherapy (freezing)

•In this clinic, liquid nitrogen is used to freeze your skin lesions away. The treatment for each lesion lasts about 5-15 seconds for one, two or three cycles each time and is applied with a large cotton bud or a cryojet spray.

• A stinging sensation is caused whilst the treatment is being applied and for a short time afterwards. As the skin thaws, a throbbing discomfort may occur.

• Immediately after the treatment the lesion will look no different. You do not need to put a dressing on it and can wash and bathe normally.

 

• Over the following few days the treated area may become red and may blister, if it does apply an Elastoplast or simple dry dressing until it settles.

• If a large blister or blood blister occurs please come back to see us as you may need it releasing with a sterile needle without removing the overlying skin.

• If the area is very red and inflamed please use an antiseptic cream from the Chemist.

  • After about a week the treated area will scab and then a little while later, the scab will drop off along with the wart/verruca.

 

•The treatment is not always successful and may need to be repeated. It is quite usual for large warts and verrucae to require several treatment sessions.

 

•It is important that you pare down the wart/verruca, thus removing the dead surface skin with an emery board or pumice stone, inbetween treatments which are generally done 3-4 weeks apart.

 

•Some warts and verrucae are very resistant to Liquid Nitrogen freezing. So after 4 attempts the treatment will generally be abandoned, but further attempts can be made if you wish.

 

•You will be asked to sign a consent form before the procedure is done. Clinical photographs may also be taken for your medical records.

 

•This treatment is not generally suitable for Asian or darker African skin as it may leave lighter or darker scars.

 

•Currently we do not treat genital warts, but may do so in the future.

 

•Other skin lesions suitable for Cryotherapy are the following which need to be diagnosed by our Dermatology trained GP:

• Actinic keratosis
• Seborrhoeic keratosis
• Pyogenic granuloma
• Myxoid cyst
• Skin tags