What is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is a quick pain-free procedure that delivers extreme cold directly to benign cosmetic skin lesions or growths, removing them quickly and effectively. This process is called cryo-necrosis – tissue destruction by freezing.

Skin imperfections that can be treated with Cryotherapy:

• Skin tags
• Milia
• Cherry Angioma
• Pigmentation
• Warts
• Verrucas
• Age spots
• Sun spots
• Liver spots
• Seborrhoeic Keratosis
• Benign Moles

Expert diagnosis and advice from a doctor, must always be sought before treatment can commence as benign lesion (non-cancerous) can sometimes be confused with cancerous lesions. CryoPen™ cannot be used to treat cancerous lesion. In addition CryoPen™ treatment may not be used if the lesions are too close to delicate structures of the body i.e. Eyes. However, our experienced cryotherapy practitioners may be able to treat these areas following an in-depth consultation and assessment.

What are the benefits of Cryotherapy?

• Sterile procedure – no incision, no bleeding, no risk of infection
• Minimally invasive
• Minimal downtime
• No anaesthetic required
• No injections required
• Virtually painless

Who cannot receive Cryotherapy?

Contraindications include but are not limited to:

• Diabetes (uncontrolled)
• HIV and AIDS
• Blood thinning medications i.e. Aspirin & Warfarin
• Cold intolerance
• Cold Urticaria (skin reaction to cold – redness & itching, also known as Hives)
• Concurrent treatment with Renal Dialysis
• Collagen and Autoimmune Disease i.e. Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Temporal, Arthritis and Scleroderma
• Raynaud’s phenomenon
• Immunosuppression
• Cryoglobulinemia
• Multiple Myeloma
• Platelet deficiency disease
• Pyoderma Gangrenosum

Treatment with CryoPen™ cannot be performed if you are taking Antihistamines – please avoid taking antihistamines 2-3 days prior to your treatment unless medically prescribed.

Are there any risks or side effects?

Although Cryotherapy is a relatively low-risk procedure some common side effects occur immediately after treatment and consist of redness, a tingling sensation and possible blistering around the treatment area. These are normal side effects and generally resolve within a few days. Other side effects include:

• Pigmentation – hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin) and
  hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin) can generally last a few months, however this can also be longer lasting or permanent. To prevent hyperpigmentation, it is advised to use an SPF 30 and above on the treated area, this should be reapplied every 4 hours. An initial test can be carried out on hidden areas for Fitzpatrick skin types 1-4 to eliminate any concerns.
• Nerve damage – although very rare, damage to nerves is possible, particularly in areas where they lie close to the surface of the skin i.e. Fingers, Wrists and Ears.
• Shards of frozen humidity – CryoPen™ uses direct application of nitrous oxide under high pressure. This high-pressure jet may cause minor shards of frozen humidity air to spread approximately 30cm in diameter however they will thaw the moment they touch healthy skin. With pinpoint accuracy of the CryoPen™ collateral damage resulting in pain is uncommon.
• A common side effect is damaged hair follicles – lesions on sites with coarse terminal hair may be damaged by cryosurgery causing permanent alopecia. Although it is not proven that cryotherapy will damage hair follicles it is recommended that care is taken in dense areas of hair.

Treatment will only be carried out following a thorough medical consultation with our Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Independent Prescriber. This allows side effects to be discussed in detail before treatment is commenced.

Is there any downtime?

Cryotherapy comes with minimal downtime – you can return to your daily activities immediately. Immediately after treatment the treated area can appear slightly red and clients have reported a tingling sensation. Possible blistering around the treatment area my form, however this is a normal side effect and will generally resolve within a few days.

Does the procedure hurt?

As the Nitrous Oxide reaches the base of the treatment area the extreme cold temperature gives off an anaesthetic effect (numbing effect). Topical anaesthetic cream prior to treatment is therefore not required. Clients have reported a tingling/pinching/itching sensation for a short period of time as the area thaws.

How many treatment sessions will I need?

For most conditions we recommend two treatments 2-4 weeks apart.

Some lesions may be more difficult to remove than others and may require several aggressive treatments to achieve the final result, for example, warts and verruca’s if they are deep rooted.

Delicate areas may also require repeat treatments cycles as they require a shorter freeze time but repeat sessions to minimise damage to the surrounding skin.

Price

1 Session – £50 (1-3 lesions)

Additional lesions – price on consultation