Skin Lesion, Skin Growth, Cyst and Lipoma Removal

What treatments are available for Skin Lesion, Skin Growth, Cyst and Lipoma removal?

Electrocautery

Electrocautery treatment is used to remove many cosmetic skin imperfections such as; Skin Tags, Sebaceous Hyperplasia, Cherry Angiomas, Syringoma and occasionally Seborrhoeic Keratosis. The treatment uses small currents of electricity to cauterise the problem area on the skin.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy has been used to remove skin lesions for a number of years. It is a quick procedure that essentially freezes and destroys the skin lesion. Liquid nitrogen is either sprayed or applied by swab onto the area being targeted.

Cryotherapy treatment sessions usually take 5-10 minutes and it is particularly useful for multiple growths. Although it is a relatively simple procedure, it is very important that it is only carried out by an experienced professional as damage can occur to the surrounding skin if the treatment is not performed correctly.

Surgical Excision

Surgical excision of a skin lesion, cyst or lipoma is most commonly performed under local anaesthetic. Surgical excision will require making an incision into the skin and the lesion being removed. The incision will then be closed with stitches.

Curettage and Cautery

Curettage and Cautery treatment involves the skin lesion being scraped off from the skin using a rounded sharp device known as a curette. Heat is then applied to the wound to seal and cauterise the area.

Results

The results from all treatments is usually instant with the skin lesion being removed from the skin, however depending on the method of removal – the skin will need to take some time to heal fully.

Downtime

The downtime following these treatments will vary. Electrocautery and Cryotherapy can cause redness and scabbing over the treatment area for two weeks. The wound from Curettage and Cautery can take a few weeks to heal and should become smoother over the following months. Your incision can take up to 3 weeks to heal following surgery however this should not involve any downtime and many patients are able to return to work the next day following surgery.

When it comes to researching cosmetic surgery procedures there are a lot of words and abbreviations that may seem confusing. We have created a glossary of the most popular Plastic Surgery words which you can view here.