Cryotherapy is another treatment used for pre-cancerous lesions of the skin, as opposed to the topical medicines that are used as a field treatment for skin cancer. Cryotherapy involves directly spraying the individual lesions of the skin. When we use cryotherapy an ice crystal or an ice ball is formed within these abnormal cells causing cell destruction.
Once cryotherapy is completed the downtime, or the healing time of this process, is usually one to two weeks on average. Side effects associated with cryotherapy includes some redness, irritation, burning and even blistering. This resolves over time.
One potential complication of cryotherapy is lightening of the skin. So one must be very careful when using cryotherapy in skin of color.
