The Plastic Surgery Institute offers our patients in Beverly Hills Electrodesiccation, a quick and simple procedure to remove skin lesions such as skin tags and brown spots.
Something as small as a ‘normal’ skin tag can not only be unsightly, it could also be a worrisome sign of something more serious. Your skin is your body’s biggest organ, and you work hard to take care of it – don’t let something so minute as a small blemish turn into something serious. The Plastic Surgery Institute offers Electrodessication Beverly Hills patients can rely on to remove skin growths and blemishes.
Electrodesiccation is a novel technique in the treatment of NF-1 and is usually coupled with another type of skin procedure called curettage. Curettage uses a sharp tool called a curette to remove acne, boils, pimples, molluscum, and other similar types of skin-related problems. Curettage is usually followed by electrodesiccation.
Electrodesiccation treatment for the removal of skin tags, some brown spots, and other skin concerns is an effective treatment to safely reduce excess skin. It can be used to remove warts, angiomas, horns, or bumps caused by actinic keratosis, as well as mild forms of skin cancer such as basal and squamous cell cancers.
If you experience any of these sorts of skin blemishes, it would pay to visit the Plastic Surgery Institute, as sometimes only a single treatment is necessary for optimal results! Feel free to contact us today to set up a Beverly Hills Electrodessication consultation to determine what options are available and ideal for your skin today!
THE TREATMENT PROCESS
Electrodesiccation works by removing skin growths on the body where precancerous or cancerous growths may exist. This simple procedure treats small lesions by scraping the skin down to the unaffected layer.
Cancerous cells and lesions on the skin, as well as those diagnosed as benign, will be eliminated. Electrodesiccation has remained a proven and effective substitute for surgery and is used in cases where the growth only affects the top layers of skin. Our Beverly Hills electrodesiccation treatment is an outpatient procedure.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING TREATMENT
First, an anesthetic cream is applied to the treatment area. It typically contains 1% lidocaine. This anesthetic cream will numb the area so that the patient does not feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure. The surgeon will use a curette – a small round instrument – between 1 mm and 6 mm to perform curettage. This involves slowly scraping off the top of the skin growth, working towards the deeper layers.
They will then use an electrosurgical device called a hyfrecator over the treated area. A strong electric current is passed into the tissue to dry it out, or desiccate it, and kill potentially cancerous cells. They will remove some of the top layers of the skin and use the curette again to get out as much of the skin growth as possible so that it does not reoccur. Any denatured dermis will be removed completely until only living tissue is left behind in the area. This can be done up to two or three times depending on whether the surgeon was able to get the entire skin growth.
After the procedure, a small scab usually forms over the treated area. It falls off in one to three weeks. The use of a topical prescription cream can resolve the scab even faster. It is very important that you follow our aftercare instructions so that you achieve effective healing.
Typically after Electrodessication Beverly Hills patients may remove their bandages after 24 hours to clean the procedure site and change the dressing on the area of skin. We will direct you on how to properly clean your site as well as how to dress the wound. You may also be prescribed or suggested appropriate healing ointments and/or moisturizers to place on the area. Each patient’s healing process is different and varies based on the size of the area being treated, the amount of tissue removed, and the location of the procedure.
Electrodesiccation involves removing tissue and excess skin with high-frequency electric current delivered via a needle-shaped electrode. The machine that makes electrodesiccation possible, often called a Bovie, uses a precise electric current, applied to an area of the skin, to dehydrate cells and destroy lesions.
The same device also helps to stop bleeding and is a very cosmetically effective way to seal the skin. This process is also very useful for the removal of small bumps on the skin, like milia, skin tags, keratosis, and warts. This same device can also be used to treat some superficial skin cancers, where it is often combined with curettage. An electrosurgical device may then be used to stop bleeding and cauterize a zone of normal tissue after mole removal, for example.
This procedure can remove any cancerous tissue and minimizes the chance of recurrence. The treatment device is a pen-like instrument with a metal probe at the tip – the metal portion is placed close to the skin, and electricity then flows to heat the targeted area of the skin. Patients are often awake for most of the electrosurgery treatments performed, as skin may or may not be numbed beforehand with a topical or local anesthetic, and the procedure only takes a few seconds.
The Doctors at the Plastic Surgery Institute love what they do. If you want the highest quality of care from industry leaders who are as approachable as they are professional, you will find a perfect partner for your procedure at the Plastic Surgery Institute in Beverly Hills.
Dr. Ritu Chopra M.S, M.D. is a warm and caring surgeon whose skill in the operating room is unsurpassed. Dr. Chopra specializes in highly technical procedures like deep plane facelifts and breast restoration following cancer or trauma.
Dr. Nathaniel Villanueva, M.D. takes a holistic approach to plastic surgery. Dr. Villanueva helps find solutions that extend long after the initial procedure thanks to his innovative ability to integrate healing wellness practices into his treatment plans.
Patient Reviews
The Plastic Surgery Institute’s key chief plastic surgeon is Dr. Ritu Chopra, a board-certified plastic surgeon with a passion for plastic surgery and his patients. He has been the go-to plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills for over a decade.
Dr. Chopra followed his heart and focused his attention on medicine, combining his understanding of the structure (having graduated with an Engineering degree) and his appreciation for aesthetics to create excellent results for his patients. Contact The Plastic Surgery Institute to schedule a consultation today to meet with Beverly Hills’ most prestigious doctors, where we are more than happy to answer all of your questions to put your mind at ease.
Electrodessication is used with or without curettage for the removal of many different types of unwanted growths on the skin, such as skin tags, warts, molluscum, and seborrheic keratoses. It can also remove neurofibromas, small tumors on the skin that form in large clusters. Instead of having each neurofibroma removed independently with a scalpel one after the other in different sessions, which can be quite painful, you can have all of them removed in just one sitting with electrodesiccation. Electrodessication can be used to treat broken blood vessels and areas with sebaceous hyperplasia and can also remove certain types of moles.
Electrodesiccation has the following advantages:
There are numerous ways to address skin issues, and the technique you choose makes a big difference. For the most effective electrodesiccation Beverly Hills techniques with the lowest risk of complications, it is best to pay a visit to one of our skilled medical professionals. Contact our office to arrange a consultation with Dr. Chopra.
No matter what brought you here, a visit with our doctors will bring out the best in you. Call us today to schedule your initial consultation, either in person or online.
465 North Roxbury Drive, Suite 1007, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri: 9am – 5pm
Closed Weekends
