Cryotherapy of Warts (Liquid Nitrogen)

Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy viral warts, sun-damaged skin (actinic keratosis) and superficial basal-cell lesions. At Dermaestet it is a quick dermatological procedure considered one of the most effective tools against warts, also reducing the chance that warts spread to other areas. For sun-damaged skin it serves as prevention against skin cancer. The treatment is priced by the number and size of lesions and may be repeated for stubborn growths.

Cryotherapy (cryalisation) is the controlled application of liquid nitrogen, which boils at around minus 195 degrees Celsius, to freeze a targeted area of skin. The intense cold destroys the abnormal tissue, which then blisters and sheds as the skin heals, while the surrounding skin recovers. At Dermaestet it is used to remove viral warts, actinic keratosis (skin damaged by the sun) and the superficial type of basal-cell lesion. The clinic describes freezing as currently the most effective tool dermatologists have in the successful fight against warts, with the added benefit that it reduces the likelihood of a wart spreading to other parts of the body; it can be used on all kinds of warts, and for sun-damaged skin it acts as prevention against the development of cancer. The clinic also notes that for genital warts it can remove them but cannot cure the underlying infection. The procedure is short — the clinic notes around ten minutes — and is performed without anaesthesia; the cold itself produces a brief stinging or burning sensation. After treatment the area may redden, blister and form a scab over the following days before healing, and the spot should be kept clean and protected from the sun. Because warts and some lesions can be persistent, more than one freezing session may be needed for complete clearance, and the cost depends on how many lesions are treated and their size. Cryotherapy suits people with confirmed viral warts, actinic keratoses or superficial benign lesions; any lesion that looks suspicious is assessed by the dermatologist and referred for excision and histology rather than frozen, and suitability is confirmed at the clinic.