Cryotherapy involves freezing a wart, small skin tag, noncancerous skin lesion, or some precancerous skin lesions depending on size and location. The freezing takes place by using a very cold substance, which is usually comprised of liquid nitrogen. It is regarded as a standard treatment for warts and can be done in our office! Believe it or not, the application of liquid nitrogen is usually completed in less than 1 minute. FYI, most sites will require 1 to 4 treatments, with 1 to 3 weeks in between each treatment.
Now that we've covered the overview of what cryotherapy is, I'll let you know what you should expect. Pain from the treatment can linger for up to 3 days. Within hours after treatment, a blister may form. The blister will dry up over the next few days , and the wart may fall off. Healing in generally quite quickly with little to no scarring (1 to 2 weeks).
Cryotherapy is commonly used if salicylic acid treatment has not eliminated if a wart or if quick treatment is desired. It gets rid of warts about half of the time, but two or more treatments may be needed.
It is good to keep in mind that there is a small chance of infection associated with cryotherapy. However, some signs of infection include: increased pain, swelling, redness, tenderness, or heat.
Lastly, this should be your take away. If you can tolerate moderate, short-term pain, cryotherapy may be the reasonable treatment option for you. Consultation is the first step, so schedule an appointment with us today. The cost for treatment of each wart can be anywhere from $50 to $100. It is covered by insurance in most cases. If you have any questions, please contact us at 423-623-3100.
Thanks for reading!