Aesthetic/Cosmetic Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery is a useful office therapeutic method for treating diverse benign unaesthetic skin diseases. Treatment of acne, acne scars, idiopathic gutatte hypomelanosis, infantile hemangiomas, flat warts, freckles, lentigo simplex, photoaging, pyogenic granuloma, rhinophyma, sebaceous hyperplasia, seborrheic keratosis, skin tags, solar lentigo, spider nevi, trichoepithelioma, and venous lakes is addressed. Most conditions require a single, less than 30 s long, 1 mm margin treatment cycle. Avoidance of overtreatment and careful patient selection can minimize potential adverse effects such as hypopigmentation or scarring. Combination with other treatment modalities can improve aesthetic outcome. Cryolipolysis is a non-invasive subcutaneous fat-reduction technique indicated for the flanks and abdomen that needs further evaluation. When properly applied, cryosurgery is a fast, safe, effective and economical tool for the treatment of most unaesthetic dermatoses.