Removal of pre cancerous spots on skin?

Question

I am due to have a number of sun spots removed with a low temperature liquid. Will this cause pain at the time or subsequent itching? The spots are on my neck and forehead.

Rose P.

Answer 1

How do you know they are pre-cancerous?. Were they biopsied?. Getting them biopsied they would have been removed to begin with.

I could be wrong, if so educate me, I am willing to learn.

I am just used to having moles biopsied for cancer.

Answer 2

If you are talking about having precancerous actinic or solar keratosis frozen with liquid nitrogen applied with a long q-tip or a liquid nitrogen gun (very common ways of treating precancerous skin lesions) then I have had plenty of them frozen. It has been my experience that some will hurt and some won't, depending on size and location. The pain usually only lasts about as long as a hard pinch and does not itch after wards. This freezing does cause a blister which if not popped will be much less painful that if you pop it the first day and then have an open blister sore for 2-3 days. Make sure an apply antibiotic ointment as directed by your Dr and wear a band aid over the frozen spots and you should do fine.  

good luck

Answer 3

It depends on the composition of the liquid and the temperature they use it at. If it is cold (like the substance used to freeze warts) it will tickle while they do it and hurt a little later. If it's room temperature it is probably the same stuff that the doctor prescribed for my grandfather, which slowly cut out the cancerous cells (and only the cancerous cells). This does hurt, and your skin will dry out and may crack or bleed a little bit. You'll be okay, and the doctor might prescribe pain medicines for you.

I was diagnosed with a small spot on my nose last year (precancerous with the potential to develop into cancer in about 10 years) so they gave me a cream to "cut out" the cells. It worked, but stung a little bit. After the procedure is done, be sure to wear sunscreen any time you're outside for the next few weeks.