CRYOTHERAPY FOR THE BODY TREATMENT

Cryotherapy is a unique procedure that involves applying low temperature to inflamed tissue and eliminating it. It is a controlled and straightforward treatment that is efficient and safe for addressing different dermatoses. Cryotherapy remains a necessary dermatologic treatment, subsequent to radiofrequency and laser therapies. 

At Lucia Clinic, patients can get an effective CryoPen treatment based on cryotherapy. It is a safe and painless procedure that can eliminate superficial skin lesions like warts, milia, skin tags, verrucae, hyperpigmentation, scars, and cherry angiomas. 

CryoPen is an FDA-approved treatment which applicator looks like a pen that applies a controlled and high-pressure spray of nitrous oxide. This precise applicator lets the doctor target the skin lesion and not harm the surrounding healthy tissue. 

It is an in-office, quick procedure that doesn’t need special preparation or anesthesia. One session of CryoPen treatment can be finished in less than 2 minutes. It is safe for patients of all ages even seniors. 

CryoPen brings fantastic aesthetic results and high healing rates. And it is one of the most minor invasive treatments for skin lesions.

Procedure info at a glance

Is it painful? No
Is there any downtime? No
How many sessions are needed? Usually 1-2, rarely more
How long does the procedure take? Few minutes
When can I see the results? 1-6 weeks post-procedure
How often should I do it? Monthly if more then one session is required

HOW DOES CRYOPEN TREATMENT WORK?

CryoPen treatment is based on cryotherapy technology (cryo means extremely cold). A targeted skin lesion is treated with a high-pressure spray of nitrous oxide which provides this cold energy. The cold is applied with millimeters accuracy, and it eliminates the targeted skin lesion, but it doesn’t harm the surrounding healthy skin. 

The tip of the CryoPen applicator reaches a temperature of -89°C before it is applied to the skin. This high drop in temperature of the nitrous oxide thermally shocks the lesion, crystalizes the fluid found in it, and turns its cells into ice shards. Eventually, the targeted skin lesion gets eliminated because its cells’ membrane ruptures. 

This extreme cold penetrates the targeted skin lesions at 1mm per 5 seconds. Therefore a 2mm lesion, for example is treated just for 10 seconds. 

CryoPen applicators can have different sizes and various nitrous oxide cartridge capacities. Therefore this treatment can address smaller and bigger skin lesions. 

WHAT DOES CRYOPEN TREATMENT TARGET?

CryoPen procedure is suitable for addressing benign lesions on the superficial layer of the skin. More complicated lesions are first checked by a doctor before they can be treated with this procedure. 

This treatment can be used on different body areas to address:

  • Skin tags 
  • Cherry angioma or red blisters
  • Warts or viral verrucae
  • Plantar warts
  • Age or liver spots
  • Milia or small, white bumps
  • Water warts or contagiosum
  • Sun spots or solar lentigo
  • Other kinds of pigmentation
  • Hyperplasia
  • Moles and birthmarks or popular nevi
  • Condyloma or genital and anal warts
  • Seborrheic warts or painless rough and raised lesions. 

CryoPen treatment is safe for all patients, including children and young adults, of good general health.

WHY IS CRYOPEN TREATMENT BENEFICIAL?

One of the biggest advantages of this procedure is that it is an effective alternative to some more invasive procedures for skin lesions removal. It is safe and fast and achieves brilliant results.

The effectiveness of CryoPen treatment lies in its controlled and precise application. It treats only the skin lesion that needs to be removed and doesn’t damage the surrounding tissue. The tip of the CryoPen applicator is so precise that it can address lesions from 1 to 10 mm in size.  

This procedure is minimally uncomfortable, and since it is quickly over it doesn’t require any anesthesia. It can be safely performed at any time, even in the summer. It case the patient has this treatment in summer, he/she just needs to put a high SPF to keep the skin protected. 

Since this treatment is non-invasive, it doesn’t need stitches or sutures. 

After the treated skin lesion has completely healed, the patient is left with clear and flawless skin – all thanks to the CryoPen procedure. 

Book an appointment

If you would like to schedule an appointment or a free consultation, please leave your info and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Lucia badge

    FREQUENT QUESTIONS

    • WHO SHOULD AVOID CRYOPEN TREATMENT?

      Before the CryoPen treatment, it is vital to correctly diagnose the skin lesion in question. Dermatologist needs to examine the lesion carefully before suggesting the CryoPen procedure. Also, the patient must inform the dermatologist if the lesion in question has started to change recently.

      Also, pregnant or breastfeeding ladies shouldn’t undergo this procedure. They need to wait until pregnancy or breastfeeding is over to proceed with the treatment.

    • WHAT DOES CRYOPEN TREATMENT LOOK LIKE?

      Prior to the treatment, the patient is consulted with Lucia Clinic’s dermatologist. The dermatologist carefully checks the patient’s skin lesion that he/she wants to remove to see if the CryoPen procedure is suitable for treating that skin lesion.

      During the procedure, the dermatologist directs the CryoPen applicator tip at the lesion and lets the high-pressure spray of nitrous oxide. Since this gas is extremely cold, it freezes and destroys the lesion. But the surrounding healthy skin tissue is left undamaged because the spray is controlled and precise.

      The patient may notice frost or ice-field on the lesion, but this is common and goes away after a few seconds. The dermatologist may use another technique called freeze-thaw-freeze. It freezes, defrosts, and again freezes the skin lesion. With this method, the frozen lesion rests for 30 seconds before it is frozen again. It freezes quickly the second time, which guarantees its removal.

      During the treatment, the patient may experience only mild discomfort. But the treatment doesn’t require topical numbing cream or anesthesia because this discomfort is felt only for a few seconds. Generally, the CryoPen applicator feels like a pen pressed against the skin but since it freezes the lesion really quickly, it is very tolerable.

      After finishing the treatment, the dermatologist leaves the treated area uncovered to let it heal. Sometimes, the doctor puts a plaster or dressing over the treated area. This is especially true if the treated skin lesion is located in some place where it might get disturbed by rubbing.

      The patient can generally continue with his/her day after the treatment because no special aftercare or downtime is necessary.

    • WHAT SIDE EFFECTS ARE POSSIBLE AFTER CRYOPEN TREATMENT?

      Since CryoPen is a safe procedure, it doesn’t cause many side effects. However, some minor side effects of CryoPen treatment may include


      - Mild stinging sensation in the treated area for a couple of minutes or one hour. After that, it should resolve.

      - Very rarely blisters and sores can appear in the treated area. Also, a scab may occur, especially if the patient got a deep freezing procedure that can cause mild pain. But the patient may reduce the discomfort with pain medications. Regarding the scab, it is important not to scratch or pick it because it may leave a scar.

      The healing of the treated lesion can be expected after 1 to 4 weeks. Also, the scab that forms falls off after a week.

      In some rare cases, patients may see a change in skin color or pigmentation or a scar in the targeted area but this should last only temporarily. The changes in pigmentation usually happen at patients who have darker skin tones. For those patients, the treatment is done in shorter intervals, like 3 to 6 seconds of freezing. For patients with very dark skin tones, this treatment may harm the melanocytes around the targeted skin lesion and make the skin lighter in that area.

    • HOW MANY CRYOPEN TREATMENT SESSIONS ARE NECESSARY FOR THE BEST RESULTS?

      The right number of sessions is determined according to the size and nature of the skin lesion that needs to be removed. For superficial, benign lesions, it generally takes 2 to 10 seconds to complete one session. The results are seen 1 to 6 weeks after.

      After 4 weeks, the patient should have a follow-up appointment so that the dermatologist can check how well the patient responds to the therapy and if additional sessions are required. More sessions are needed if the treated lesion isn’t removed entirely or if it is too persistent. This is particularly the case with deeper lesions like warts.

      If the patient is treating a lesion in some delicate area, he/she needs more sessions of shorter freezing cycles. This way, the surrounding healthy skin is not harmed.

      Small lesions are usually completely removed with just one treatment session.

    • ARE THE RESULTS OF CRYOPEN TREATMENT LONG-LASTING?

      Once the targeted lesion is completely removed, the results should be permanent. But some types of skin lesions tend to appear in the adjacent areas especially if the patient is prone to developing these types of lesions.