# What are the dermatological uses of liquid nitrogen?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dermatological-uses-of-liquid-nitrogen/723904>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 30, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dermatological-uses-of-liquid-nitrogen/723904 "2015-06-30T21:09:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dermatological-uses-of-liquid-nitrogen/723904/1 "2015-06-30T21:09:33Z")

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A long time ago a dermatologist used liquid nitrogen to remove a plantar wart from my foot. Another one I saw later used to carry a spray bottle of liquid nitrogen around with him in his lab coat. There must be quite a number of things LN can be used for if he carried a bottle with him to be right at hand.

What are the conditions for which LN is a common treatment in standard dermatology practice today?

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dermatological-uses-of-liquid-nitrogen/723904/2 "2015-06-30T21:42:12Z")

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[Seborrheic keratosis](Seborrheic keratosis) is one.

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**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dermatological-uses-of-liquid-nitrogen/723904/3 "2015-06-30T21:47:48Z")

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nm

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**Author:** ![Bender\_Bending\_Rodriguez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/74df32/32.png) [@Bender\_Bending\_Rodriguez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bender_Bending_Rodriguez)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dermatological-uses-of-liquid-nitrogen/723904/4 "2015-07-01T01:16:33Z")

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> [@jebert](#):
>
> A long time ago a dermatologist used liquid nitrogen to remove a plantar wart from my foot.

Maybe because duct tape, [although more effective,](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12361440) seems a bit too ghetto 😃

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dermatological-uses-of-liquid-nitrogen/723904/5 "2015-07-01T01:25:52Z")

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My doctor used it to remove skin tags from my neck and other places.

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**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dermatological-uses-of-liquid-nitrogen/723904/6 "2015-07-01T02:53:04Z")

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Here’s what I have used in the past for poor man’s cryotherapy. I don’t know about warts, but for cysts I have used a large Ronson butane canister (for refilling lighters). It is a bit difficult to get purchase on the little plastic tip, but if you can spray the butane on the cyst it should clear up after a couple of days. Don’t let your fingers get frost bitten manipulating the tip.