If you have had a treatment to remove a skin lesion, you might like to know what to expect in the coming days. While there is very little aftercare required, there are a few things you should be aware of.
Please remember not to shave the treated area for at least 2-3 days post your CryoPen treatment (skin sensitivity dependent).
Blisters: Blistering can happen with any cryotherapy treatment and is indiscriminate. Blistering can be common with CryoPen, and is also a normal response to the healing and repair stage of your treatment. If blistering does appear, please don’t pop it, it will go down on its own. If it pops, weeping may occur - you can use a smear of Savlon or Germolene cream twice a day (ensure you apply it with clean hands). An adhesive dressing such as a plaster can be used to cover the area to protect it.
Skin Tags: These turn black at the base and drop off over a period of one to six weeks. Larger skin tags of 3mm+ may need a second freeze. Please contact us after six weeks if they need to be retreated. If the area does become tender you can use use Savlon or Germolene twice a day. A plaster can be used to cover the area to stop the treated area being irritated by clothing rubbing on it.
Warts and Verrucae: It is recommended if they are still there, warts and verrucae should be re-treated 4 weeks after your first treatment. There is no aftercare apart from if the treated area develops a blister.
Milia: These are superficial keratin filled epidermal cysts and normally flatten and disappear with Cryotherapy quite quickly. There is no need to do anything other than follow the blister advice if one appears
Pigmentation and Cherry Angiomas: The treated area may raise and look like a bee-sting. Do not worry this is perfectly normal. The redness will subside in a few hours.
General advice for all skin lesions In the case of all lesions, over the next 24 hours the area will go darker and develop a crust on the surface. Do not pick this off. When it naturally falls away you will see new skin which is a shiny pink colour. This is not scarring. It will re pigment over the following weeks and could take several months.
The histamine in the area which was treated will create an itchy sensation for between ten and sixty minutes, do not worry this is perfectly normal.
- Do not pick the treated area at any time after treatment otherwise the area will take longer to heal. If a wheel/scab is knocked off accidentally it will also take longer to heal, but you should still have the same outcome of a successful treatment.
- Please use at least an SPF 40 on any pigmentation removal until it has re-pigmented, this may take up to eight weeks.
- You can continue to use make up, deodorant or perfumes on treated areas but try and leave for as long as you can on the day of treatment.
- If the small crust has not fallen off after four weeks please wait until it has done so before contacting the clinic. Skin sometimes takes several weeks and even months to regenerate.
- If the skin being treated is tanned please remember the healing skin will no longer be tanned. It will eventually re-pigment as it matures.
- Permanent alopecia can occur in a treated area which is usually covered with hair.
- Treatments that do not heal after six weeks should be reviewed by your doctor or dermatologist. Please contact us to tell us if this happens.
