Freezepen™ cryotherapy is a medical procedure involving applying nitrous oxide gas ejected under high pressure onto the skin. The gas is very cold which helps to freeze and destroy any benign lesions.

During the application, the tip of the Freezepen™ reaches -89°C.

This creates a thermal shock at the region where the gas is pointed, causing a rapid temperature drop.

The temperature drop has the effect of crystallising the fluid contents of the targeted cells, turning them into ice shards, resulting in the destruction of skin lesions as the membrane surrounding the treated cells is effectively ruptured and destroyed.

The penetration of the cold is approximately 1mm per 5 seconds of treatment, so a 2mm sized lesion would take 10 seconds of nitrous oxide gas to treat.

During treatment, you may see a frost or ice field on the top of the lesion, the frost goes away within a few seconds. A common technique called freeze-thaw-freeze is used to freeze, then defrost a frozen lesion and then freeze it again. Here, the frozen lesion is allowed to rest for 30 seconds, and then a second treatment is applied whereby the tissue will freeze faster the second time around, and destruction of the lesion is more thorough.

Basically nothing. Immediately after treatment it is advisable to leave the area uncovered as this speeds up the healing process. However, your skin professional may apply a simple dressing or plaster if there is a chance the area may get rubbed or aggravated in any way.

It’s permanent after one or two treatments. Some types of skin lesions may return in other places if you are prone to them.

No.

You’ll definitely feel a cool sensation, a bit like spraying a deodorant on the area. In some cases, you might feel a slight sensation similar to a light skin prick when the nitrous oxide reaches the intended area.

The area treated may feel a little itchy for up to 10 minutes after treatment.

Yes.

Freezepen™ can treat all skin types and colours including Asian and black skin. It is also safe for young adults and children.

Freeze times will be adjusted to suit each individual client, skin type and tone.

Freezepen™ cryotherapy treatments are non-invasive and low risk. During the healing process, the treated area may develop some pigment (colour) change.

This colour loss may take a little longer to return on darker pigmented skin. This will generally improve over a period of a few weeks, possibly a couple of months.

Freezing can cause some irritation to some of the small nerves in the skin and lead to an area of numbness, tingling or sensitivity. These symptoms will generally improve within a couple of weeks after treatment.