Solar keratoses
Bulk billedSolar keratoses
Bulk billedRough, scaly sun spots on the face, scalp, arms and hands — early sun damage worth treating.
Book online →Cryotherapy for sun spots and warts.
Liquid nitrogen freezes a lesion so the treated cells die and the skin replaces them. It takes seconds, needs no anaesthetic, and is one of the most common procedures we do.
Three ways to book: HotDoc · online · or by phone.
Quick, effective, slightly cold.
Freezing is the standard first-line treatment for a long list of surface skin problems.
Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen at around minus 196 degrees to destroy unwanted surface skin cells. It is applied for a few seconds with a spray or probe. The treated area blisters or crusts over the following days, then falls away as new skin forms underneath.
What responds well to freezing
Solar keratoses — the rough, scaly sun spots common on Australian faces, scalps, forearms and hands — respond particularly well, and treating them matters because a proportion would otherwise progress. Common warts, plantar warts, seborrhoeic keratoses, skin tags and molluscum are also routinely treated.
Good to know
Solar keratoses are not just cosmetic. They are early sun damage, and treating them is part of skin cancer prevention.
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What it feels like
A sharp cold sting for the few seconds the nitrogen is applied, then a burning ache for several minutes that settles. Most people describe it as uncomfortable rather than painful, and no local anaesthetic is used for routine treatment.
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Afterwards
The area becomes red and may blister within a day. Leave the blister intact if you can. A crust forms and separates over one to three weeks depending on the site; hands and feet take longest. Keep it clean, do not pick it, and use sunscreen on the new skin.
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When more than one treatment is needed
Stubborn warts and thicker lesions often need two or three sessions a few weeks apart. Anything that does not respond, or that looks different from what was expected, will be reassessed and may be biopsied instead.
What we treat by freezing.
Common lesions treated with liquid nitrogen in our treatment room.
Tap to learn more
Common warts
Bulk billedCommon warts
Bulk billedHand and finger warts, treated over one or more sessions a few weeks apart.
Book online →Plantar warts
Bulk billedPlantar warts
Bulk billedWarts on the sole of the foot, which are thicker and usually need several treatments.
Book online →Molluscum contagiosum
Bulk billedMolluscum contagiosum
Bulk billedCommon in children; treated selectively and gently, or sometimes left to resolve.
Book online →Seborrhoeic keratoses
Bulk billedSeborrhoeic keratoses
Bulk billedBenign age-related growths, treated where they catch, itch or bleed.
Book online →Skin tags
Bulk billedSkin tags
Bulk billedSmall skin tags in areas that rub, frozen or snipped depending on size and site.
Book online →What to expect.
A cryotherapy appointment start to finish.
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Assessment firstYour GP examines the lesion, often with dermoscopy, to confirm freezing is the right treatment and not a biopsy.
02
TreatmentLiquid nitrogen is applied for a few seconds per lesion. Several can be treated in one appointment.
03
HealingRedness, then a blister or crust, which separates over one to three weeks. Keep it clean and covered if it rubs.
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Review if neededStubborn lesions are re-treated after a few weeks; anything unexpected is reassessed.
Bring with youMedicare cardA note of how long the lesion has been thereAny treatments already triedSunscreen for afterwards
Who you'll see.
All three GPs perform cryotherapy; Dr Hafiz focuses on skin.
Focuses on this area
General Practitioner · Medical Director
Dr Mustafa HafizMChD, FRACGP
Skin cancer checks and minor procedures, men's health, mental health and family medicine.
Available Mon · Tue · Wed · Fri · Sun
Focuses on this area
General Practitioner
Dr Zainab ShiraziDiploma in Dermatology
Women's health, children's health and skin conditions.
Available Mon · Tue · Wed · Fri · Sat
Focuses on this area
General Practitioner
Dr Mohammed HossainMBBS, FRACGP, Diploma in Dermatology
Chronic and complex conditions, heart, gut and kidney health, weight management.
Available Mon · Wed
General Practitioner
Dr Robert ReidMBBS · In general practice since 1980
Mental health, chronic illness, disability care and general family medicine.
Available Ask reception
Fees and bulk billing.
Cryotherapy for medically indicated lesions is bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card.
Full fee guide
100% bulk billing clinic
Standard GP consultations at Toongabbie Doctors are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card, so there is no out-of-pocket cost to see your doctor.
Treatment of solar keratoses, warts and other medically indicated lesions is bulk billed for eligible patients.
Removal of a harmless lesion purely for appearance is cosmetic and attracts a private fee, quoted in advance.
Multiple lesions can usually be treated in the one appointment at no extra cost.
Common questions.
What people ask before being frozen.
It stings sharply for the few seconds of treatment and aches for several minutes afterwards. Most people manage it without any anaesthetic.
The treated skin is often slightly paler or pinker for some months, and occasionally permanently. Your GP will mention this before treating visible areas.
Solar keratoses often clear in one. Warts, especially on the feet, commonly need two or three sessions spaced a few weeks apart.
Yes. There is no recovery time. Keep the area clean, avoid picking, and cover it if clothing or shoes will rub.
Yes, when the lesion is medically indicated. Freezing something purely because you dislike how it looks is cosmetic and carries a fee.
Related services.
Skin Cancer Checks and Minor ProceduresSkin checks, biopsies, excisions, cryotherapy and wound care.Learn more →Biopsies and Minor ExcisionsRemoving and testing suspicious skin lesions on site.Learn more →Wound and Dressing CareDressings, wound reviews and stitch removal in our treatment room.Learn more →Cosmetic ConsultationsMedical assessment and honest advice before cosmetic treatment.Learn more →
Sun spots or warts to deal with?
Book a skin appointment and have them assessed and, where appropriate, treated the same day.
Three ways to book: HotDoc · online · or by phone on (02) 7813 6000.
Toongabbie Doctors · Shop 1, Toongabbie Point
Monday to Friday8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday8:00am - 1:00pm
SundayClosed
ParkingFree via Cox Lane