Cryotherapy

At Park Private Clinic we offer the latest cutting edge Cryotherapy services for the safe removal Warts, Skin Tags, Veruccae and other lesions.

Warts, veerucae and skin tags can be embarrassing and cause irritation. Prescribed treatments or over the counter remedies may not always be effective at getting rid of such stubborn lesions. Here at Park Private Clinic we offer an effective solution via our latest Cryotherapy treatments. We are able to provide effective wart removal, verruca treatments and skin tag removal here at our Nottingham based private GP clinic.

You may require several treatments with cryotherapy if the warts or lesions are particularly stubborn and longstanding. The process takes only minutes and is relatively painless.

Should you wish to book an appointment please call us today on 0115 8967878 or book using our online booking form.

So, what is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is a safe and convenient procedure for removing skin lesions by freezing them. Liquid nitrogen is used for this procedure because of its low boiling point at –196 degrees celsius.

We use a device called the cryopen which differs from traditional cryo-therapy as it delivers the cryogen at increased pressures and lower temperatures. The device is able to target lesions as small as 1mm accurately.

What skin conditions can be treated with cryotherapy?

A wide range of benign (non-cancerous) skin lesions can be treated with cryotherapy. Examples include viral warts, actinic keratoses and seborrhoeic keratoses. Some superficial low-grade skin cancers can also be treated with this method, but the doctor will discuss the benefits and risks of using cryotherapy with you before starting treatment.

How is the procedure performed?

The procedure will be overseen by our doctor. During the procedure liquid nitrogen is applied to the skin using a spray gun, a metal probe or a cotton applicator. The duration of application depends on the size, depth and type of lesion treated. The frozen skin is then allowed to thaw, and the process is repeated 1 to 2 times more.
The skin lesion may form a scab, and this will take 1 to 2 weeks to drop off. Depending on the type, size and depth of the skin lesion, more than one treatment may be necessary.

You may get a painful burning sensation after the treatment. However, this only lasts for a few minutes or rarely hours.

If you develop persistent pain at the treatment site, please highlight this to us. You can take painkillers e.g paracetamol to reduce the pain.

Sometimes, there may be blister formation.

What are the side effects of cryotherapy?

Pain/ discomfort (common)
Swelling and redness (common)
Blistering
Lightening or darkening of skin color at the treatment site. This is seen more commonly in individuals with darker skin colour.
Numbness
Recurrence of the skin lesion
Infection (rare)
Scarring (rare)

Post Cryotherapy care of the treatment area?

Keep the area dry
Do not pick on the scab that forms over the treated area
The treated areas will initially become red and slightly swollen and
occasionally a blister may develop. It is not normally possible to predict when it will blister, but if it does develop, it can be burst with a sterile or clean needle to release the fluid.
Over the next few days, the treated area will scab and may darken in colour. Do not pick, scratch or attempt to peel off the scab. For best results allow the scab to come off itself, rather than picking at it.
Healing normally takes about a week. When the scab comes off, there may be some changes in pigmentation of the skin (lightening or darkening) which may be permanent – especially in dark skinned persons.