Solid carbon dioxide, used in treating skin growths such as warts, or to preserve tissue samples.
Solid carbon dioxide is created through the rapid expansion of liquid carbon dioxide. Due to its extremely low temperature, it finds application in medicine as both a cauterizing and freezing agent for the removal of minor skin imperfections or growths. When carbon dioxide snow is applied for a brief period, the treated area freezes, cutting off its blood supply. This process leads to a type of aseptic gangrene, followed by blister formation, and ultimately, the detachment of the growth. The advantage of this method lies in its impact on only the most superficial skin layers, which then regenerate, typically leaving minimal or no scarring.
Dry ice, which is solid carbon dioxide, possesses an extremely low temperature and finds application in the removal of warts and skin moles. When applied for a brief duration, ranging from a few seconds to a minute, it leads to the coagulation of blood vessels within the wart. Subsequently, the wart withers and eventually falls off.