Within 24-48 hours a blister may form, although sometimes it takes longer. In 7-10 days the area will start to scab. At this time you can encourage the lesion to come off with light exfoliation or rubbing with a damp wash cloth.
Your healthcare provider will numb the skin and then use liquid nitrogen to freeze the growth. This will cause it to fall off within a few days or weeks.
Freezing a growth with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy) can be an effective way to remove a seborrheic keratosis. It doesn't always work on raised, thicker growths. This method carries the risk of permanent loss of pigment, especially on Black or brown skin.
Immediately after treatment, pain and swelling may occur for one to two hours. The treated site then darkens (brown, brown-red, or even blue) within 24 – 48 hours. If the freezing was extensive enough, a blister (or bloodblister) may develop. If blistering is severe, the area may weep for several days.
Stage 4 (7 – 28 days after treatment): The skin tag will naturally fall off, and reveal new pink skin underneath.
How To Care for Yourself After Cryotherapy. Starting the day after your procedure, wash the treated area gently with fragrance-free soap and water every day. Put Vaseline® or Aquaphor® on the treated area every day for 2 weeks. This will help the area heal and will keep it from crusting.
► Within minutes after freezing, surrounding skin will become red and begin to swell. In most cases a blister will actually form within 3-6 hours. Often there is a small amount of bleeding into the blister which will turn it dark purple of black. This is expected and should not be cause for concern.
We recommend covering the blister with a Band-Aid or other simple dressing for a few days. Do not use any creams, powders or ointments on the blister. Avoid antiseptics such as Betadine, Savlon or Dettol.
In rare cases they may come back. It's important to have regular skin exams after treatment.
The FDA has approved hydrogen peroxide 40% topical solution (Eskata – Aclaris Therapeutics) for treatment of raised seborrheic keratoses (SKs) in adults. It is the first drug to be approved for this indication. (Hydrogen peroxide is available over the counter for topical use as a 3% solution.)
Some topical products that treat seborrheic keratosis are available without a prescription, including 0.1% tazarotene cream and alpha hydroxy acid products. A person who wishes to treat their condition at home should speak with a doctor for a recommendation.
Seborrheic keratosis treatment in NYC typically costs between $450 to $2,000 per treatment session.
Experts don't completely understand what causes a seborrheic keratosis. This type of skin growth does tend to run in families, so there is likely an inherited tendency. If you've had one seborrheic keratosis, you're at risk of developing others. A seborrheic keratosis isn't contagious or cancerous.
Diclofenac gel may be a new treatment option for seborrheic keratosis.
After a liquid nitrogen treatment, the lump, wart or whatever is being treated will gradually discolour and fall off. The surrounding skin will sometimes become red and swollen and be sore for a day or so. It is similar to a mild burn. Occasionally a blister (sometimes a 'blood blister') forms.
Since these conditions don't pose a health risk, insurance plans typically do not cover their treatment. Patients opting for removal for cosmetic reasons will be responsible for the costs.
Topical treatments that yielded a good-to-excellent response include hydrogen peroxide, Maxacalcitol 25 µg/g, BID Tazarotene 0.1% cream, 5% potassium dobesilate cream, 1% diclofenac sodium solution, urea-based solution, and 65% and 80% trichloroacetic acid. Local skin reactions were often mild and transient.
The next day the blister or blood blister will form and tenderness will most likely continue. After a week, the area will be dark red/brown and look somewhat scabbed over, but after two weeks this scab should peel and the area will be healed.
Add in moisture. Science shows moisturized skin can heal better than dry skin. Use a topical occlusive on the treated area every day for 2 weeks to prevent crusting or scabbing from occurring. If a scab does appear, resist the urge to pick at the scab.
A very cold liquid called liquid nitrogen is applied to the growth with a cotton swab or spray gun to freeze it. Blisters may form under the growth that dry into a scablike crust. The keratosis usually falls off within a few weeks. No mark is usually left, although occasionally there may be a small dark or light spot.
The risks of cryotherapy are small, but complications can occur. These complications may include: Bleeding, cramping or pain after cryotherapy around the cervix. Bone fractures.
Aim to keep the treated areas dry for 24 hours. After this time the area should be gently washed on a daily basis and patted dry with a soft towel or tissue. Vaseline ® can be applied daily to help the area heal and prevent crusting - it is important to use a fresh tub of Vaseline ®.
Doctors call this “cryotherapy.” They use super-cold liquid nitrogen to remove the skin tag. It will fall off about 10-14 days after the treatment. The downside is this method can irritate the skin around the tag. Burning.
Once an actinic keratosis is frozen and peels off or is removed with another method, it is usually gone. The method may not remove all of the damaged cells and it may need a second treatment later.