Cryotherapy

If you have any unsightly or annoying lesion(s) that you’d like to get rid of, ask your doctor to check it to ensure it is benign, and clear you for CryoPen treatment.

CryoPen treatments can remove most common lesions such as skin tags, hemangioma, sunspots (solar lentigo), pigmented spots, actinic or seborrhoeic keratoses easily and quickly.

There should be no scarring, though it’s important to note hair may not regrow over the treated areas and darker skins may experience depigmentation.

Your treatment practitioner will examine the growth or lesion and decide if it’s safe to treat with Cryotherapy. Always consult a doctor prior to treatment to ensure the lesion is benign prior to attending your treamtent.

Treatment will be carried out by a qualified Complete Skin & Beauty Therapist and will only take minutes to perform. Given it is a quick and easy treatment no anaesthetic is needed.

Your practitioner will:

1. Assess the size and depth of the lesion
   
2. Point the pen at the lesion
   
3. Press the trigger to release the gas, “painting” it over the skin for 2-45 seconds, until you see a white foam appear – otherwise known as ice. The process is repeated and viola, your treatment is complete, easy as 1, 2, 3!
   

In the following days, the frozen tissue will crust over forming a scab that will fall off within a week or two for smaller lesions, longer for bigger lesions.

No after-treatment is required.  As with any scab, avoid further irritation and use sunscreen until it has healed. Be mindful of friction between the treated area and clothing including bra and pant lines.

Larger and or deeper lesions may require a follow-up visit to check treatment and healing success. Sometimes a second treatment may be needed.

Cryotherapy is a relatively low-risk procedure with a TGA registered device. CryoPen delivers Nitrous Oxide (N2O) directly to the lesion while protecting the healthy surrounding tissue.

The duration of the treatment time will depend on the surface area and the thickness of the tissue being treated. During a clinical evaluation the thickness of the lesion is determined, the operator will choose an application time from 2 to 45 seconds.

There may be some discomfort; like a ballpoint pen being pushed onto the skin when the Nitrous Oxide reaches the bottom of the lesion. There might be a little residual stinging for a few minutes after treatment. Occasionally a blister might form and persist for a few hours.

A follow up visit is recommended after 2 to 4 weeks to confirm that all pathological tissue has disappeared or if a follow up treatment is necessary, this is especially advised for larger treatment areas.

Repeated short freezing cycles of 3 to 6 seconds at two week intervals are recommended if you have a darker skin type.

CryoPen cryotherapy is relatively low risk. There are some side effects that may occur as a result of treatment, however in most cases are temporary, including:

* Pigment changes (hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation)
* Nerve damage (particularly in areas where the nerves lie closer to the skin surface, on fingers, wrist, area behind the ear)
* Shards of frozen ice (minor shards of frozen ice may blow out, that will thaw on contact with healthy skin)
* Hair follicle damage and permanent alopecia (especially when treating lesions on sites with coarse terminal hair).

Please discuss any concerns with your clinician before treatment.