Freeze Skin Tags

Skin tags are harmless growths of skin but many people choose to remove them in order to make their skin look smooth, perfect, and more attractive. However, skin tags may also be the cause of inconvenience, irritation, and sometimes, pain. Currently there is no known medical skin tag causes, but most Medical Experts believe that skin tags are somehow created by combination of aging skin, and rubbing, or friction on the skin area. This is particularly true when skin tags are rubbed by clothing items or snagged by jewelry etc. To date, a number of methods have been developed for removing them. One technique commonly used by physicians is to freeze skin tags. In medical terms, it is called cryotherapy or cryosurgery. To freeze skin tags, physicians use an extremely cold substance like liquid nitrogen, argon, or dry ice. The procedure is simple, easy, and carries only minimal risk. Most people who have skin tags are not aware of the risks involved with learning how to remove skin tags from home. Some examples are home surgery and duct tape methods - both of which can be painful, dangerous and leave scarring.

How to Freeze Skin Tags?

Cryotherapy is performed to freeze skin tags in the dermatologist’s or therapist’s clinic. The skin tag removal procedure is mostly done without giving the patient local anesthesia. Therefore, some pain may be experienced during the process, which is quite brief. Three main techniques are used to freeze skin tags. In the commonest one, used also for other benign skin growths besides skin tags, a cotton swab (or some other applicator) is dipped in the cryogen (the extremely cold substance), which is usually liquid nitrogen at a temperature of – 196 °C. It is then applied to a skin tag, quickly, so as to freeze it and kill the cells of the growth. Depending on the size of the growths, a second round of applying the cryogen may be required to completely freeze skin tags. Another way of removing skin tags by cryotherapy involves spraying the cryogen directly onto the target (skin tags). Depending on the size of the growth, the procedure takes 5 to 20 seconds; a bit longer for larger tags. Yet another method to freeze skin tags is to use a pre-cooled probe (frozen with the cryogen) to destroy the target tag(s) on the skin. This method takes about a minute or longer, depending on the size of the growths.

Benefits of Cryotherapy for Skin Tags

Removing skin tags by freezing has a number of benefits for both the patient and the therapist. First, it is a simple and easy procedure, taking only a few minutes. It also has fewer risks involved as compared to removal of skin tags by surgical incision. Another benefit of cryotherapy is that it stimulates the immune system of the patient and boosts the body’s resistance to fight malignant (cancerous) growths. Patients who choose to freeze skin tags can be sure that the healthy cells of the surrounding skin will not be injured during cryotherapy. Elderly patients and those who are not so tolerant to other invasive surgical procedures also respond well to cryotherapy skin tag treatment.