Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy removes skin tags, sun spots, warts, verrucae, milia and cherry angiomas using controlled freezing.

No scalpels, no lasers, no downtime, most lesions are gone for good after just one or two short sessions.

Performed by Theresa, who has completed specialist cryotherapy training.

A full consultation and contraindication check is carried out before any treatment, and you'll be talked through what to expect and given an aftercare sheet to take home.

What we treat

Skin Tags

Small, harmless flaps of skin that often appear on the neck, underarms, body folds or eyelids, usually where there's friction from clothing or jewellery.

The treatment: A short freeze targets the base of the tag, cutting off its blood supply so it naturally withers and drops off.

Aftercare: The tag darkens at the base and dries up, falling away on its own over one to six weeks. Larger tags occasionally need a second treatment. Don't pick at it, let it come away by itself.

Pigmentation (sun spots, age spots, sun damage)

Flat, even-textured patches of pigment caused by sun exposure.

The treatment: A quick, surface-level freeze targets the pigment in the top layer of skin. One session treats an area up to roughly the size of a 5p piece, if the
patch is larger than that, a follow-up session two weeks later covers the rest.

Aftercare: The area becomes red, then darker, and a light crust forms before healing. The new skin underneath is pink and shiny, this is not scarring. SPF50 is essential while healing to stop the pigment returning. Full healing usually takes 4 to 6 weeks.

Cherry Angioma

Small, bright red blood spots, sometimes called Campbell de Morgan spots, common in people over 30.

The treatment: A short freeze closes off the lesion, usually removing it in a single visit.

Aftercare: The area reddens and settles within a few hours, then shrinks away gradually over two to six weeks.

Milia

Small, pearly white or yellowish bumps, often seen around the eyes, cheeks or forehead.

The treatment: A brief, gentle freeze causes the milium to flatten and clear over the following days to weeks. Nothing pierces the skin. Reduced freeze time is used around the eye area, due to thinner skin.

Aftercare: These typically flatten and clear after a single treatment with no special aftercare needed.

Manual extraction is also available for milia, this is included under our Dermalogica Skin Treatments. As a general guide, manual extraction tends to suit a single, easily accessible milium, you'll see it gone immediately. Cryotherapy tends to suit milia close to the eye, several smaller spots, or if you'd rather the skin wasn't pierced. If you're unsure which is right for you, we'll advise at your consultation.

Warts & Verrucae

Skin growths caused by a common viral infection (HPV).

The treatment: A firmer freeze, as these need to be treated more thoroughly than other lesions. Some clients feel a brief stinging sensation, this tells us the treatment is working.

Aftercare: Black spots appearing in the wart or verruca are a sign it's dying off and should clear over the following weeks. Stubborn or longstanding warts and verrucae often need a second treatment around four weeks after the first.

Aftercare

Cryotherapy is safe and effective, but how you look after the area afterwards affects how well it heals.

Straight after treatment, you may notice:

- Redness and slight swelling, this is part of the healing process
- A small dry scab, leave it to come away on its own, don't pick at it
- Itching for a few minutes, occasionally up to half an hour
- A blister. This doesn't affect how well the treatment works. If it bursts, clean it with a non-alcoholic wipe and apply a smear of antiseptic cream

Please don't:

- Scratch or pick at the treated area
- Use scrubs on the area

Healing time: You'll usually start to see results within around 2 weeks, with full healing typically taking 4 to 6 weeks, though this varies from person to person and can take longer. You can wash, shower and use your usual cosmetics, deodorant and moisturiser as normal throughout.

When to get in touch: If the area is still weeping two weeks after treatment, or hasn't healed within 6 weeks, contact us for advice, you may need to see your GP.

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Your Consultation

Every cryotherapy treatment starts with a consultation, which costs £10. This is payable when you book, whether or not treatment goes ahead on the day.

If everything checks out at your consultation, your £10 comes off the cost of your treatment. If we're unable to confidently identify your concern, or it needs a GP's input first, we won't be able to treat it on the day, we may ask you to get a letter from your GP confirming it's safe to treat, and the consultation fee still applies.

A few things worth knowing before you book:

• A maximum of five areas of concern can be treated in one session
• Warts and verrucae often need a second treatment
• We can't treat anything with hair growing from it, or anything on the hairline or eyebrows
• No spray tan, and no tanning products on your skin, on the day of treatment
• No sunbeds for two weeks before or after your treatment
• No waxing anywhere on the body, and no microneedling, on the same day as your treatment
• Keep the treated area dry for 24 hours afterwards
• If the treated area will be exposed to the sun, use SPF50 on it for 4 weeks afterwards
• Don't pick at the treated area, let it heal on its own
• Where a second treatment is needed, this is carried out 4 weeks after the first
• You'll usually start to see results within around 2 weeks, with full healing typically taking 4 to 6 weeks, depending on your skin

We are fully insured for cryotherapy treatments.

Who this isn't suitable for

Cryotherapy isn't right for everyone. At your consultation, we'll check for things including (but not limited to):

- Pregnancy
- Certain autoimmune or connective tissue conditions
- Poor circulation conditions, such as Raynaud's disease
- An extreme reaction to cold, or cold-triggered skin reactions
- Some medications, including blood thinners and immunosuppressants
- A weakened immune system

This isn't an exhaustive list, a full contraindication form is completed before any treatment is booked in.

Important: We can only treat lesions we're trained and insured to treat: skin tags, milia, cherry angiomas, flat pigmentation, warts and verrucae. We're not able to treat moles or anything we can't confidently identify as benign, if there's any doubt, we'll refer you to your GP first.