Non-Surgical Treatments
Non-surgical treatments such as cryocautery (liquid nitrogen), electrofulguration and topical treatments can also be used.
Cryocautery (Liquid Nitrogen)
Sunspots and a host of benign lesions, such as skin tags, warts and age spots can be effectively removed by spraying the lesion(s) with liquid nitrogen.
Electrofulguration
Diathermy, cautery, hyfrecation, electrofulguration or electrodessication use a high frequency, low voltage electrosurgical apparatus to destroy sunspots (actinic keratosis, solar keratosis) and some types of skin cancer. In certain situations, this is preferable to skin surgery or cryocautery. Cautery is also very effective in removing benign lesions, such as skin tags.
Topical Treatments
A large range of topical therapies, usually in some form of cream directly applied to the skin with or without special light(s), can be used to treat skin cancers and sunspots but NOT melanoma. The most effective are by prescription and vary with respect to efficacy, duration of application, healing time, side effects and cost.
Commonly used creams are Efudix, Aldara, Metvix, Solaraze, Salicylic acid, Lactic acid, Urea, and Picato (derived from a milkweed plant).