Treatments

Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery is a surgical treatment that utilizes liquid nitrogen, a very cold gas, to freeze and destroy various skin lesions such as warts, seborrheic keratoses, and pre-cancerous growths called actinic keratoses.

Cryosurgery is done frequently in dermatology and does not require anesthesia or needles. Cryosurgery can sting and be painful but the discomfort is usually temporary, typically lasting a few minutes. Once a skin lesion is treated with liquid nitrogen, it becomes red, inflamed, and eventually can become crusty or even blister before healing.

Not all skin lesions resolve with cryosurgery and some may need multiple treatments or even recur. Cryosurgery can sometimes result in pigment changes in the skin and even a scar. Cryosurgery can be expensive depending on your insurance coverage and deductible.