Cryotherapy Destructive or Regenerative

Is the use of cold to treat skin problems or to modulate the immune system.

Cryotherapy has been used to treat skin problems for approximately 100 years. Liquid nitrogen became available in the 1940s and is currently the most widely used cryogen. Cryotherapy is classified on the basis of its effect on the tissue in question and can be either destructive or regenerative depending on the time of cold exposure.

Destructive cryotherapy is the application of cold at temperatures below the cold-threshold of the tissue. This kind of cryotherapy leads to necrosis or the dying off of the tissue. Destructive cryotherapy is a highly effective treatment for a broad range of benign skin problems such as actinic keratosis, solar lentigo, seborrheic keratosis, viral wart, molluscum contagiosum, and dermatofibroma. Cryotherapy can be conducted with the use of specific high quality instruments that allow for pinpoint precision with minimal damage to surrounding skin and practically no pain for the patient.

Regenerative cryotherapy is the administration of cold at temperatures near the cold-resistance threshold of the tissue. This kind of cryotherapy stimulates the regenerative process in the tissue. Regenerative cryotherapy causes controlled local tissue irritation which later manifests itself in the elimination of pathogenic factors, regeneration of tissue, restoration of tissue function and for general modulation of the immune system.

This method was developed by Dr. Kochenov, MD, PhD (Russia).