A biopsy is used to diagnose a skin growth and involves taking a small piece of the lesion and sending it to the lab for analysis. The biopsy result gives dermatology providers more information about the diagnosis of a skin condition or the nature of skin cancer. This information allows the providers to treat skin conditions more effectively or recommend the best surgical treatment plan for skin cancer. After a biopsy patients may have a small scab or a few stitches and will keep the area covered with a bandage for a few days.

Cryosurgery is the use of liquid nitrogen to remove superficial skin growths by “freezing” or “burning” them off. We use cryosurgery to treat lesions including, skin tags, warts, seborrheic keratoses, and pre-cancerous lesions called actinic keratoses. Afterward, the skin will become irritated and may scab up. After about 1 week, the lesion should decrease in size or fall off completely. We recommend applying Vaseline to aid healing. Some lesions may need multiple treatments for them to resolve completely.