Use of Liquid Nitrogen in Dermatology

Many of you will see liquid nitrogen being used around the office. We use liquid nitrogen to remove benign (non-cancerous) skin growths like skin tags or seborrheic keratoses (swipe to see a video of an SK being treated) as well as treat warts, pre-cancerous actinic keratoses and more!

Liquid nitrogen is extremely cold (about -196 C) 🥶. Treatment with liquid nitrogen is also known as cryotherapy or cryosurgery.

Once liquid nitrogen is applied to the skin you will feel stinging or burning for a few minutes.
After it’s applied:

💠 Your skin may be pink, swollen and tender for a few days after treatment.
💠 A blister may form where liquid nitrogen contacts your skin.
💠 A scab or crust may form. It usually falls off within 2 to 4 weeks.
💠 The area treated may become discoloured (lighter or darker in colour).

Here are a couple tips for taking care of your skin that has been treated with liquid nitrogen:

💠 Wash the treated area gently with fragrance-free soap and water. Don’t scrub.
💠 Apply White Petrolatum ie. Vaseline® or Aquaphor® on the treated area every day for 1-2 weeks. This will help the area heal and minimize formation of a dry crust.

In general liquid nitrogen is extremely safe and effective! It can also be used for a little entertainment for any kids in the office. (You can see the liquid nitrogen “train” video on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CF-XzTmDt0X/ ) 😊