The CryoPen is a quick and virtually pain-free way of removing skin lesions, including skin tags, milia, age spots, sun spots, cherry angiomas, seb ks, and flat dark moles. With precise freezing, each lesion is treated from 5-30 seconds.
The CryoPen emits a fine jet of nitrous oxide under high pressure, which allows millimetre precision for freezing. This destroys the tissue by freezing the intra-cellular fluid, forming ice shards and crystals which rupture the membrane, thereby destroying the cell. There is no collateral damage to healthy tissue.
After the initial redness, the lesion might swell and become darker. Then a scab will form, which should not be picked to reduce infection and scarring risks. This will drop off after a week or so, taking the lesion with it. Skin tags might turn black and drop off. For some lesions the process can take up to 4 weeks. Larger and more raised lesions sometimes require further treatments at 4-6 weekly intervals. There will be a pain sensation similar to a stinging nettle, which could last up to a couple of hours. Occasionally a blister might form.
Side effects are rare, but sometimes there can be pigment changes (lightening or darkening, a bit like a scar) and if this happens skin colour usually returns to normal after a few months. In extremely rare cases infection could develop.
Warts and Verruccas can be treated, but only if they have developed in the last couple of months, otherwise they can take multiple treatments, and a year or more to disappear. Generally it is preferred not to treat these as they will go with time on their own.
Price:
£60 per lesion, and £20 per top up
Dr Tallent is happy to assess lesions to see if they are suitable for cryotherapy, please email photos to drtallent@tallentmedical.co.uk Some lesions may require a second treatment after 4-6 weeks and this is included in the price. Any further top ups will incur a further £20 charge. Please note this treatment is for 18 years old and over only.