As we age, our skin can develop lesions that seem to pop up out of nowhere, such as skin tags, warts, cherry angiomas, as well as benign fibromas, small growths on the skin, moles or spots. Most are harmless (you should always get them checked first), although they can impact our self-confidence if they draw attention on an exposed area such as our face, arms or chest.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to remove these skin lesions, and Cryopen is a safe, easy and quick solution to achieve this. Best of all, it’s completely painless and can be performed by a trained skin therapist, rather than needing an expensive surgical procedure that requires quite a bit of healing.
Can I remove any skin lesions or moles with a Cryopen treatment?
First things first, it’s important you get any newly developed moles, spots, lumps or dark patches on your skin checked out by a doctor first, to ensure they are benign (not cancerous) and are not a symptom of anything else harmful. Once you’ve had this assessed and have been given the all-clear for removal, these lesions are very simple to get rid of at your local skin clinic that offers Cryopen treatments, and it can even be done in a lunch break!
How does the Cryopen work to get rid of these skin lumps, spots and lesions?
Sometimes known as Cryosurgery or Cryotherapy, during this treatment your trained skin specialist will use a pen-like device called a Cryopen to deliver a precise, powerful jet of nitrous oxide onto each skin imperfection, freezing the skin cells, but not the healthy skin cells around them. This is done when the “inter-cellular” fluid is frozen, forming ice crystals, which will destroy the lesion. This will then crust a little as the area heals (depending on its size) and fall off your skin within a week or so, in the same way a scab would. The result? Flawless skin!
What makes the Cryopen better than general nitrous oxide at a doctor’s office?
The difference is in the high precision applicator. Some doctors or skin clinics will blot nitrous oxide onto your skin with a cotton swab to freeze off superficial skin lesions, however the size and shape will not be accurate, and you can end up with damaged healthy skin tissue (and hypopigmentation – discolouring of the skin) on the surrounding damaged area. In comparison, the Cryopen has excellent accuracy when removing your chosen lesions and not the skin around them and doesn’t require direct contact with the skin, so it’s also incredibly hygienic. This makes it a safe and effective option for use on the face and even near the eyes, especially for very small skin imperfections.
Will a Cryopen treatment hurt
You shouldn’t feel the treatment at all for most skin lesions, especially for thick clumps of skin such as warts or benign seborrheic keratosis (brown skin growths) and fibromas (small lumps of skin tissue). If you’re wanting to remove freckles or other flat spots on the skin, you may feel a slight and quick stinging sensation with the jet of cold as it freezes the skin, but this will subside quickly. The area should heal up within a week or two, and you won’t need a bandage – but can use one if you wish. If the skin surface area is larger, you can apply a cooling gel such as O Cosmedics Medi Soothe to help soothe and heal the skin.