CryoPen: Treatment Advice & Aftercare
Updated: Oct 6
Cryotherapy for Selected Benign Skin Lesions
CryoPen is a precision cryotherapy treatment that uses a controlled jet of nitrous oxide (N₂O) to rapidly freeze selected unwanted tissue.
It allows us to target small areas accurately while limiting exposure to the surrounding healthy skin.
At Eco Skin Clinic, CryoPen may be used for the treatment of selected benign skin lesions, following assessment by your practitioner.
What Can CryoPen Treat?
Depending on the lesion, its size, location and your individual skin, CryoPen may be suitable for concerns such as:
skin tags
milia
cherry angiomas/blood spots
seborrhoeic keratoses
warts
verrucae
selected pigmentation and sun spots
other appropriate benign superficial lesions.
Not every lesion is suitable for CryoPen, and your practitioner will assess the area before treatment.
In some cases, Advanced Electrolysis, Plasma Pen or another treatment may be more appropriate.
Before We Treat a Skin Lesion
CryoPen is a cosmetic treatment for appropriately assessed benign lesions.
We will not treat a lesion if we're uncertain what it is or if its appearance raises concerns.
Has Your Lesion Changed?
Please seek medical assessment before cosmetic treatment if a lesion:
is new or has recently changed
is changing in size, shape or colour
has an irregular border
contains several different colours
repeatedly bleeds without an obvious cause
repeatedly crusts or doesn't heal
has become persistently painful or itchy
looks noticeably different from your other lesions
has changed in any way that concerns you.
If your practitioner isn't confident that a lesion is appropriate for cosmetic treatment, we will not treat it and may recommend medical assessment first.
What About Moles?
Moles and other pigmented lesions require particular care.
We do not use CryoPen to treat suspicious or undiagnosed pigmented lesions.
If a mole or pigmented lesion is new, changing or otherwise concerning, it should be medically assessed rather than cosmetically removed.
Before Your Treatment
Before your appointment:
Avoid deliberate tanning and sunbeds.
Don't attend with sunburnt, broken or significantly irritated skin around the treatment area.
Avoid fake tan over the area.
Don't pick, scratch or attempt to remove the lesion yourself.
Tell us about medication, supplements and herbal remedies you take.
Tell us about medication that affects bleeding, healing or your immune system.
Let us know if you have diabetes or another condition affecting healing.
Tell us if you have previously developed significant scarring or pigmentation following an injury or skin treatment.
Let us know about recent procedures or advanced treatments in the same area.
Tell us if the lesion has changed since your consultation.
Do not stop prescribed medication in order to have CryoPen treatment unless advised by the healthcare professional who prescribed it.
Is CryoPen Suitable for Everyone?
CryoPen may need to be adapted, postponed or avoided in some circumstances.
Please tell your practitioner if you:
are pregnant or breastfeeding
have an active infection, open wound or significant inflammation around the area
have diabetes or another condition affecting normal healing
have a weakened immune system or take immunosuppressive medication
have a history of poor wound healing
have a history of keloid or abnormal scarring
have significant circulation problems
have a bleeding or clotting disorder
take anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication
have a history of significant post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation
have a pigmentary condition such as vitiligo
are undergoing cancer treatment
have recently had surgery or another procedure in the treatment area
have another significant current medical condition.
Having one of these doesn't necessarily mean you cannot have CryoPen. Your practitioner will assess whether treatment is appropriate for you.
What Does CryoPen Feel Like?
CryoPen produces an intense cold sensation as the lesion is frozen.
You may experience:
cold
stinging
tingling
a brief sharp sensation
aching or tenderness afterwards.
The treatment itself is usually very quick, although the time required depends on the type, size and depth of the lesion.
What Happens Immediately Afterwards?
The treated area may initially:
become red
swell slightly
feel sore or tender
appear white or frosted immediately after freezing
become darker as it begins to heal.
These are expected responses to cryotherapy.
Blistering Can Be Normal
Don't Be Alarmed by a Blister Cryotherapy can cause a blister to develop after treatment. This may contain clear fluid or occasionally blood and can be part of the normal healing response. Do not deliberately burst or pick the blister.Allow it to settle naturally and contact us if you're concerned about its appearance.
If a blister accidentally breaks, keep the area clean and follow the aftercare advice given by your practitioner.
What Happens to the Lesion?
The appearance varies according to what has been treated.
Over the following days, the lesion may:
darken
become dry
develop a crust or scab
shrink
gradually separate from the surrounding skin.
Eventually, the treated tissue should naturally come away as the skin heals underneath.
Do Not Pick the Lesion
This is one of the most important parts of your aftercare.
Allow the treated area to heal naturally.
Don't:
pick
peel
scratch
cut
squeeze
pull off the lesion or crust.
Even if it looks ready to come away, allow it to detach naturally.
Picking can increase the risk of infection, scarring and pigmentation changes.
Aftercare
During the healing period:
Keep the area clean.
Avoid unnecessary touching.
Wash your hands before touching it if necessary.
Don't pick at a blister, crust or scab.
Avoid strong acids, retinoids and exfoliating products over the area.
Avoid scrubs and aggressive exfoliation.
Avoid waxing or other treatments directly over healing skin.
Avoid swimming while the area is open or blistered.
Avoid saunas and steam rooms while the area is healing.
Avoid excessive friction from clothing or footwear.
Follow any specific wound-care advice given by your practitioner.
Normal gentle washing is generally fine, but don't soak, scrub or repeatedly rub the treated area.
Makeup
Don't apply makeup directly over an open blister, broken skin or weeping area.
Once the skin surface has closed and is healing normally, makeup can generally be resumed carefully.
Use clean brushes and applicators.
Warts & Verrucae
Warts and verrucae are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and can behave differently from other lesions.
They may require several CryoPen treatments, particularly if they are larger, deeper or have been present for a long time.
Treatment does not guarantee that a wart or verruca will never recur.
Avoid picking or filing the area in a way that could spread viral material to surrounding skin.
For verrucae, your practitioner may give you additional advice about caring for the area between treatments.
Pigmentation Changes
Cryotherapy deliberately freezes tissue, so temporary changes in skin colour can occur as the area heals.
The treated skin may become:
darker
lighter
pink or red.
Hyperpigmentation & Hypopigmentation
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is where the treated area becomes darker than the surrounding skin.
Hypopigmentation can also occur following cryotherapy, where the treated area becomes lighter because pigment-producing cells can be affected by freezing.
These changes may take weeks or months to settle.
Occasionally, a difference in skin colour can be long-lasting or permanent.
The risk of noticeable pigmentation changes can be greater in darker skin tones and in clients who have previously experienced pigmentation following inflammation or injury.
Your practitioner will consider this when deciding whether CryoPen is the most appropriate treatment for you.
Sun Protection
Protect healing skin from excessive UV exposure.
Once the surface has healed sufficiently for sunscreen to be applied, use a broad-spectrum SPF 30–50 on exposed areas.
Avoid deliberate tanning and sunbeds while the area is healing and while pigmentation is settling.
Will One Treatment Be Enough?
Sometimes — but not always.
The number of treatments required depends on:
the type of lesion
its size
its depth
how long it has been present
its location
your individual response.
Some small superficial lesions may respond to one treatment, whereas warts, verrucae, thicker lesions and larger lesions may require several sessions.
We would rather reassess and retreat an area than over-treat the skin in one appointment.
When Will I See the Final Result?
CryoPen isn't an instant removal treatment.
The treated tissue needs time to heal and naturally separate from the skin.
Don't judge the final result while the area is still blistered, crusted, pink or pigmented.
Once it has fully healed, your practitioner can assess whether any further treatment is required.
Can the Lesion Come Back?
A successfully treated lesion may not return, but CryoPen cannot prevent new lesions developing in the future.
Some concerns, particularly warts and verrucae, can also recur and may require further treatment.
When Should I Contact Eco Skin Clinic?
Redness, tenderness, swelling, blistering and crusting can all occur following CryoPen treatment.
Please contact us if you experience:
significant or increasing pain
redness that is spreading rather than settling
increasing heat or swelling
pus or unusual discharge
an unpleasant smell from the area
persistent bleeding
a very large or concerning blister
signs of infection
skin that isn't healing as expected
significant or unexpected pigmentation changes
any reaction that concerns you.
Important: If a Lesion Changes
CryoPen is used for the cosmetic treatment of selected benign lesions.
If a lesion changes in size, shape, colour or behaviour, repeatedly bleeds or crusts, fails to heal or otherwise concerns you, it should be medically assessed rather than repeatedly cosmetically treated.
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