facial rejuvenation and anti-aging treatment

Cryotherapy is targeted and controlled elimination of inflamed tissue by low temperatures application. The treatment is straightforward, efficient and safe and can treat different dermatoses. Although there are different procedures like laser therapy or radiofrequency, cryotherapy remains an important dermatological therapy. 

Doctors at Lucia Clinic use an advanced CryoPen treatment that is based on cryotherapy. It safely and painlessly eliminates superficial lesions like skin tags, warts, milia, verrucae, scars, hyperpigmentation and cherry angiomas. 

CryoPen is an FDA-approved advanced cryotherapy treatment. Its applicator is like a pen that emits a precise and high-pressure spray of nitrous oxide and allows the doctor to accurately treat the targeted skin lesion, without harming the surrounding tissue. 

It is a fast, in-office treatment that doesn’t require long preparation or anesthesia. The session can be over in 2 minutes. CryoPen represents one of the least invasive lesion procedures on the market. 

Patients of all ages can have this treatment, even older ones.

It achieves wonderful cosmetic results and high healing rates. 

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 WORK?

CryoPen works by using the technology of cryotherapy, where cryo means extremely cold. During the treatment, a high-pressure jet of nitrous oxide is directed to the targeted lesion with millimeter accuracy. Nitrous oxide provides cold energy. This source of cold eliminates unwanted skin tissue without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue.

Before the application of CryoPen, its tip reaches a temperature of -89°C. This extreme cold creates a thermal shock at the lesion where the gas is directed. This drop in temperature crystallizes the fluid in the treated cells and turns them into ice shards. As a result, the skin lesion gets destructed because the membrane that surrounds the treated cells ruptures. 

The cold penetrates the lesion at 1mm per 5 seconds, so for example, a 2mm lesion is treated for 10 seconds with nitrous oxide gas. 

CryoPen treatment can be performed with different applicators size, that has various nitrous oxide cartridge capacity. It all depends on the type and size of the unwanted skin lesion.

WHAT CAN CRYOPEN TREATMENT ADDRESS?

CryoPen can address benign superficial skin lesions. More severe lesions must be examined first by qualified doctors, before treating them with CryoPen. 

This treatment can be used on the face or scalp to effectively address:

  • Skin tags 
  • Milia (small, raised, white bumps usually around the eyes, on the cheeks, nose or eyelids)
  • Cherry angioma
  • Age (liver) spots
  • Warts (viral verrucae)
  • Plantar warts
  • Seborrheic warts (painless and wart-like lesions that are raised and rough) 
  • Water warts (contagiosum)
  • Sun spots (solar lentigo)
  • Other types of pigmentation
  • Condyloma (anal and genital warts)
  • Moles and birthmarks (popular nevi)
  • Hyperplasia

CryoPen procedure is safe for all patients who are generally healthy, including young adults and children. 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE CRYOPEN TREATMENT?

Cryotherapy is a wonderful alternative to more invasive skin lesion elimination treatments. It is a completely safe and fast procedure that brings great results.

CryoPen is an advanced procedure that is absolutely precise and targets only the lesion. It doesn’t harm the surrounding healthy tissue. Since the CryoPen applicator is very precise it can treat lesions from 1 to 10 millimeters in size. It can be safely used on the patient’s face, scalp and body.

The treatment is only mildly uncomfortable and usually doesn’t require anesthesia or numbing cream. It can be done at any time of the year even during summer. If the treatment is performed in summer, the patient just needs to apply a high SPF to protect the skin from overexposure to the sun. 

CryoPen treatment is completely sterile and it doesn’t require incisions and sutures. It doesn’t cause bleeding or infection. 

The patient can get flawless and clear skin fast with effective CryoPen treatment.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

  • WHO SHOULD NOT UNDERGO CRYOPEN TREATMENT?

    It is very important to do a correct diagnosis of the targeted lesions because some cancerous lesions can be usually confused with benign lesions. Only dermatology specialists must carry out the examination of the lesion first. Cancerous lesions can’t be treated with a CryoPen procedure. It’s important to consult with the expert if the examined lesion has changed recently.

    Also, CryoPen treatment is not suitable for treating lesions close to delicate areas like near the eyes. Pregnant and breastfeeding ladies are not good candidates for this treatment and should wait until that period is over before getting it.

  • WHAT DOES CRYOPEN TREATMENT INCLUDE?

    Before having the treatment, the patient must have a consultation with Lucia Clinic’s doctor. The doctor examines the patient’s skin lesions which he/she wants to eliminate and determines if this treatment is suitable for addressing those lesions.

    When the treatment starts, the doctor simply directs the CryoPen applicator tip at the patient’s lesion and applies the cryotherapy. The high-pressure jet of nitrous oxide is emitted to the targeted lesion. The gas is extremely cold and it freezes and destroys treated the lesion, without harming surrounding healthy tissue.

    The patient might see ice-field or frost on the lesion. This is normal and disappears in a couple of seconds.
    The patient may feel slight discomfort during the treatment. The CryoPen applicator feels like a pen that is pressed against the skin. This discomfort usually lasts only for a couple of seconds so no anesthesia or topical numbing cream is necessary.

    When the treatment is finished, the doctor may leave the patient’s treated area uncovered to help it heal faster. Or the doctor might put a dressing or plaster on the treated area if the lesion is in a difficult place and may get rubbed or disturbed.

    After the treatment, there is no special care or downtime. The patient can continue with his/her day immediately.

  • WHAT POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS ARE CAUSED BY CRYOPEN TREATMENT?

    CryoPen treatment is very safe but there might appear some minor side effects which include:

    Mild stinging after the treatment for a few minutes or up to one hour. After that time this sensation should disappear.
    Sores and blisters may occur but very rarely. After a few days, a scab may appear on the treated area. This is usually if the patient gets deep freezing treatment, which is followed by slight pain. It is also important not to pick or scratch the scam because it can leave a scar.

    The treated lesion should heal between 2 and 3 weeks. The scab that forms around the lesion should fall off in a week.

    Some patients may develop a change in skin color or pigmentation or a small scar in the treated area, but this is only temporary.
    Change in pigmentation happens more often with patients of darker skin types. If the patient has a darker skin tone then the treatment is performed in shorter 3 to 6 seconds freezing cycles every 2 weeks. If the patient has very dark skin then it is best to avoid this procedure because it can damage the melanocytes around the treated lesion and make the skin in that area appear lighter in color.

    Very rarely, cryotherapy can damage superficial nerves which results in temporary numbness and tingling sensation in the targeted area.

    In case of pain or other side effects that last for a couple of days or if the treated lesion is not healing properly the patient should inform the doctor immediately, because the patient may be developing an infection in the treated area.

  • WHEN ARE THE RESULTS OF CRYOPEN TREATMENT VISIBLE?

    The number of treatment sessions depends on the nature and size of the lesion. For benign, superficial lesions it usually takes 2 to 10 seconds to finish the procedure within one session. The patient can see the results 1 to 6 weeks post-procedure.

    4 weeks after the procedure, the patient has a follow-up appointment so that the doctor can see how the patient has responded to the treatment and if additional treatments are necessary. Additional treatments are needed if the lesion hasn’t been removed completely or if it is too persistent like for instance deeper lesions such as warts. If the patient is treating lesions around the eye area, then it is necessary to have more sessions of shorter freeze time in order to avoid damaging the surrounding skin tissue.

    For small lesions, one session is usually enough to eliminate them completely.

  • HOW LONG DO THE RESULTS OF CRYOPEN TREATMENT LAST?

    The results of Cryopen treatment should be permanent once the lesion is completely eliminated. However, some types of lesions can return in adjacent areas if the patient is prone to developing them.