Procedures – Cryotherapy FAQs

Cryotherapy FAQs

What is Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy, also called cryosurgery, is a minimally invasive treatment that uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy diseased tissue, including cancer cells.

What are some common uses of the procedure?

  • Skin tumors
  • Precancerous skin moles
  • Nodules
  • Skin tags
  • Sun Spots
  • Warts
  • Seborrheic keratosis

How should I prepare?
This procedure is very simple with minimal discomfort, but you may want to take some ibuprofen (400-800 mg) a half-hour before this procedure.

How does the procedure work?
Cryotherapy applies nitrogen at extremely cold temperatures to destroy diseased tissue. The liquid nitrogen (-170o C) is applied in several short sprays directly to the area in question.

Living tissue, healthy or diseased, cannot withstand extremely cold conditions and will die from:

  • Ice within the cell: at approximately -40°C or less, intracellular lethal-ice crystals begin to form that will tear apart almost any cell.
  • Bursting from swelling or shrinking: if ice forms only outside the cell, osmosis—the movement of a solution through the membrane of a cell—causes the cell to shrink as it gives up water to replace the water that has turned to ice. As the area thaws, water rushes into the shrunken cell and causes it to burst. For this reason, cryotherapy can consist of a series of steps in which lesions are repeatedly frozen and thawed.

Once the cells are destroyed, the white blood cells of the immune system work to clear out the damaged tissue. There is some evidence to suggest that this procedure also stimulates the immune system to attack any remaining abnormal cells.

What will happen after the treatment?
You will have a small blister over the treated area that will dry out in about 2-3 days. The treated area normally takes about 4-6 weeks to heal on the face and neck, but can take a little longer on the body.

We are always happy to meet with you to review your needs. Please call 303.683.3235 to schedule an appointment or use the Free Consultation Form and someone will call you as soon as possible.

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