Medical Cryotherapy Skin Tag & Wart Removal, Richmond, BC

No. At RAAC, cryotherapy means localized medical cryotherapy: a doctor applies liquid nitrogen to a single skin growth such as a skin tag, wart or sun spot. We do not offer whole-body cold chambers or cryotherapy for recovery or wellness. If you were searching for a cold chamber, this page is about removing small skin growths after a medical assessment.

No. Cryotherapy is only used for growths that Dr. Jiang judges to be benign after examining them. Moles, and any spot that is new, changing, bleeding, irregular or dark, need medical assessment first and may need a biopsy or referral instead of freezing.

Most people tolerate it well. You feel a cold shock followed by stinging that lasts a few minutes, and anesthesia is not usually needed. Scarring risk is generally lower than with surgical excision, but a small pale or darker mark can sometimes remain and usually fades over time.

For most skin tags and age spots, the crust falls off in about 7 to 10 days on the face and 10 to 14 days on the body. A pink or slightly pale patch can remain for some weeks after that and usually fades. Warts may need a second treatment, and Dr. Jiang checks the area once it has healed.

Cosmetic removals such as skin tags and age spots are not covered by MSP. Medically necessary treatment may be, and Dr. Jiang will tell you at your assessment. We do not publish prices online at the moment, so please contact the clinic for current pricing.

Yes, you can shower and wash gently from the same day. Pat the area dry, and avoid scrubbing the treated spot or picking at the blister or scab, which can cause scarring or infection. A plain moisturizer or petroleum jelly can help if the area feels dry. Contact the clinic if it becomes very painful, hot or swollen.

Many skin tags and sun spots clear after one treatment. Warts and thicker seborrheic keratoses more often need a second or further treatment, because the freeze has to reach the whole growth while sparing the skin around it. Dr. Jiang reviews the area once it has healed and advises whether to repeat. The outcome depends on the size, type and location of the growth.

Right after freezing, the spot turns white, then red and slightly swollen. Within hours a small blister can form, sometimes with clear or slightly bloody fluid. Over the following days it dries into a scab that falls off by itself, usually in about 7 to 10 days on the face and 10 to 14 days on the body. Do not pop the blister or pick the scab.

Yes. Most people return to work and normal activities the same day. Keep the area clean and dry, avoid rubbing it with tight clothing, straps or jewellery, and cover it with a small bandage if it sits where friction occurs. Protect healing skin from the sun. If the spot is on a hand or foot, ask the doctor how to protect it during exercise.

It is not frozen. Cosmetic cryotherapy is only used on growths Dr. Jiang judges to be benign. If a spot is new, changing, bleeding, irregular or unusually dark, he explains why it needs further assessment. That may mean a biopsy, so the tissue can be examined in a lab, or a referral to a specialist. Freezing a suspicious spot would destroy the tissue needed for a diagnosis.

It can be used, but the doctor discusses one risk first: freezing can leave a pale (lighter) mark, and a pale or darker mark is more noticeable on darker or Asian skin. Careful, targeted application helps limit the risk but cannot remove it entirely. For some spots on darker skin, the doctor may suggest another approach or a test of one spot first.

Often, yes. Several small skin tags or sun spots can usually be treated in the same visit once each one has been checked. For a large number of growths, or spots in sensitive areas such as near the eyes, the doctor may suggest treating them over more than one visit. Tell us at booking roughly how many spots you want assessed.