Cryotherapy is the medical term for freezing off
a wart or skin lesion. This process applied extreme
cold to the condition to destroy the skin cells. Cryotherapy
is performed by dermatologist or general practitioners,
and is a fairly common procedure. However, it is not
effective, and a follow up treatment is always required.
What does the treatment entail?
Cryotherapy is very painful. Liquid nitrogen is used
for the extreme cold temperature which is about negative
196 degrees Celsius, which is approximately negative
320 degrees Fahrenheit. This is applied to the surface
of the skin usually with a cotton Q-Tip or applicator,
or sometimes can be sprayed on with a cryospray. This
wart treatment
is known to sting and be very painful during the procedure.
In some cases an anesthetic is required, as the pain
can be very intense. Once the procedure is complete,
there is an immediate swelling and redness will occur.
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Will cryotherapy cure my wart?
Cryotherapy simply freezes off the wart, until it can be peeled off the skin. This treatment is ineffective as the deep root of the wart remains beneath several layers of skin. Cryotherapy can only affect the surface of the skin, and cannot penetrate deep enough into the skin cells to tackle the root of the problem. In almost all cases cryotherapy will cause scars, and will also lead to the wart growing back within several days to several weeks. The scar is very noticeable, as it is usually white in color, and can be very easily noticed on people with dark skin complexions. Warts are part of the HPV virus. A wart root is embedded deep into the skin, while the surface of the wart can be removed by this method, the root remains in the skin, and the wart will grow back.
How much does this treatment cost?
The costs of cryotherapy differ as some people have more warts than others. Almost always a second treatment is needed, and will cost the same as the first treatment. The problem with this expensive treatment is that the wart will almost always return, and would have to be re-treated according to your doctor; this leads to more money spent, more pain, and additional scarring.
Conclusion
Cryotherapy is not an effective treatment for warts.
The results are never permanent. The treatment will
almost always leave a very noticeable scar, and the
cost of treatment is very expensive, even with health
insurance.
Go
to our Warts Treatment page
Bibliography:
* http://Dermnetnz.org
* www.radiologyinfo.org
* www.aafp.org
