liquid nitrogen - what does it do to the skin exactly?

Question

my mother has just been treated for a 10p size raised blotch on her face with liquid nitrogen. The hospital says they use it for sun damage. How does it work exactly and how far deep does it go, would it damage healthy tissue?

Answer 1

I just had a raised blotch frozen on my forehead by a dermatologist with liquid nitrogen. It stings for a couple of days and looks like you might have burned yourself with a curling iron. Then it will start to get a scab that should come off pretty easily every time you wash your face. Mine is completely healed now and there is only a slight redness in the area and the brown spot is hardly visible anymore. What it does is freeze the cells and skin then your skin will heal itself from the inside out and be healthier than it was before.

Answer 2

Liquid nitrogen is a treatment for Actinic Keratosis(pre cancers or sun damage) also used to treat warts and other benign "bumps" that we find. It is 200 degrees below zero and it is concentrated on the damaged skin which blisters the area and removes it so that new skin can take it's place. It sometimes can take quite a few treatments but it leaves less of a scar that excising an area. It can damage healthy tissue if too much gets on it but any trained Dr. knows how to use it properly. It does not go too deep at all, very superficial which is why it can take a few treatments. The skin grows from the bottom up, so in order to get all of the damaged skin, you need to freeze it off in layers and it's the same with warts, you freeze layers, pare off the dead skin in 2 weeks or so and then get another treatment. Very good and thorough treatment for actinic keratosis and warts.

Answer 3

Hi,
Well, I have been subjected to liquid nitrogen twice for a small wart on my finger.
The wart is still there, and it stung like a burn on both occasions.
It is supposed to kill the skin tissue in a particular area, without affecting surrounding skin tissue.
It does, but
I have my doubts as to effect.
It hurts a bit, but the thing is no worse or better than it it was.
No spreading problem, it seems to be very localised.
Hey Ho.
Bob

Answer 4

it freezes the skin

different liquids have different boiling and freezing temps

remember learning about solids liquids and gasses in school

water freezes at 0 boils at 100 and produces steam(gas)

nitrogen boils at -195 and freezes at -209

so when you lift of the lid you get the steam and at room temp nitrogen is a gas

so effectively nitrogen burns as opposed to freeze, the affected area causing the area to blister and encouraging new tissue growth , how deep it penetrates the skin is determined by the length of time it is applied.

hope this helped

Answer 5

it just has a low boiling point and so in order for it to be a liquid it has to be very cold. So if it touches the skin it freezes it so i would say, yes it would damage healthy tissue

Answer 6

You really need to read "Banish My Bumps" by Angela Steinberg (also available in electronic format here: http://www.banishbumps.com ). It's about how to permanently cure your Keratosis Pilaris naturally. I was able to clear my skin in only 7 days after reading this.

Stop paying paying each month good money on creams. This is exactly what the pharmaceutical industry wants you to do! They want to milk money from you each month.

Answer 7

1

Answer 8

It freezes the skin which then blisters and later will fall off.

The physician knows how long to leave it on so as not to affect good tissue.

Answer 9

I don't know but I've seen horrible movies where liquid nnitrogen freezes people's hands or legs and they fall off like ice cubes...but that's fiction...it still scares me.

Answer 10

Yes first answer correct