Cryotherapy Hampshire UK
Excellent for:
- Removing flat marks in white skin.
Good for:
- Warts not on the palm or sole
- Skin cancers when surgery is inappropriate
- Recurrent skin cancers
Poor for:
- Marks in permanently tanned skin or pigmented skin
- Warts in thicker skin (palms and soles)
What is cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy destroys living cells by freezing them. Spicules of ice form within the treated cells. This disrupts the cell's intracellular organelles causing cell death.
Dermatologists tend to use liquid nitrogen because it cools the skin rapidly and to very low temperatures. Most of the over-the-counter wart freezing canisters do not cool the skin very effectively.
What are the disadvantages of cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy is uncomfortable and produces more swelling than the equivalent surgical wound.
If used on the body, it tends to leave white marks.
Cryotherapy works best on flat marks or raised lumps that are surrounded by white skin.
Sun damage on the face and the back of the hands is cleared by one to two treatments with cryotherapy.
For warts on the hands the cure rate is 80% after six treatments at three weekly intervals and for warts on the feet only 50% after the same six treatments.
How will I look immediately after cryotherapy?
After cryotherapy there may be immediate local swelling and redness. The swelling settles over a day or two.
On the face, the redness clears after 4-6 weeks but on the hands it lasts longer.
Treatment near the eye or lip can cause a more widespread swelling that persists for a few days.
What about cryotherapy aftercare?
If an excellent cosmetic result is desired, cryotherapy wounds should be occluded until they heal.
