Spot Reduction for Angiokeratoma of the Scrotum

The soldering iron method works! i just used an Amerikit AK-109 model. Yes it is nerve-wracking to put an extremely hot tool to your ballsack but it really doesn't hurt much. Admittedly, I chickened out the first couple times but then I downed a few drinks and it was Go Time. Others have posted that it may be a good idea to do some practice runs when the iron is not hot and i agree. what i did was i plugged in the iron and started tapping at the spots when the iron wasn't warm but then got hotter and hotter. this gave me some confidence to keep going.
It only takes a brief tap to sizzle the bastards. they scab up after about a day and the scabs fall off after about 4 days. i used colloidal silver as an antiseptic.
i had to repeat after about a week of healing because some of mine were rather large but it's really not a big deal. After you get over the initial fear, it's almost fun like a video game to burn those spots. And the clarity and elation of finally beating those spots is priceless. i thank all of you on this forum who shared this information.

I need some help please!!!

So i put numbing cream on and waited 30 minutes, set the soildering iron to 480c, it wasn't glowing hot or anything like that..

When i went to touch the spots, i never heard a pop.. but more a sizzle like the skin was cooking, the red spots turn white which was from burning them, hardly any bled either... i went and touch some spots 10 times quick and i couldn't get any to pop... i hope that this was enough for them to go away?

Please tell me if I'm doing it wrong?

I would not touch spots repeatedly with the soldering iron. Once doesn't seem to leave scarring, but multiple times may. Some sizzle and some pop, or hardly anything at all. The sound doesn't determine the results. And you can't always see how effectively a particular spot has gone down until a few days later. Just wait it out and do it again after the skin is fully healed... Maybe a week. There's no need to rush.

I saw these posts yesterday and I bought some differin gel 1%. I had a few raised sensitive spots yesterday and they all shrank overnight. As of this morning there are no raised or sensitive spots. I’m going to continue trying this and will post updates. Let’s hope this works. I’m not sure I want to take a soldering iron to my scrotum.

Hi there. I know this is a guest account, so you probably won’t ever see this, but thank you for updating with your experience.

I have two small ones that appeared on the head of my penis just by the urethra as well about 6 months ago. It took a GP, urologist, and two dermatologists before someone could diagnose. For now, I don’t mind them. But I’m sure they’ll get worse with time. Happy to know there’s an option when that happens.

Hello.

This differin gel 1%, was it the following or something else?
 

I am uncircumsized and have them on the shaft.

I started treating mine with a soldering iron about a year ago. It works, but for me, it requires doing "touch ups" every few months. I had more than 100 of the spots when I started--some were medium to large, most were small. Last night, I treated about 20 very small spots. Based on my experience, I'll need to do it again in about four months. Totally worth it to me.

Through trial and error, I found that the lowest temperature setting on my soldering iron works the best for me, plus I don't have to deal with the nerve-wracking heat of the highest setting. Some of the spots make a popping sound and some don't. On the low temperature setting, I am able to tolerate touching the spots multiple times if necessary. You just have to figure out what works for you. I have no scarring whatsoever from the treatments.

Good luck to everyone dealing with this!

Like David and a few others I also have these on the head of my unit. They are right at the tip, I noticed first one in my 20s, it was small and I ignored it. Later it got bigger and there were more smaller ones. Went to the DR and they diagnosed it as AK and said live with it. Its hard having them on the tip of your thing as its up front and the first thing your partner is going to see, at least on the sack they are somewhat tucked away.

I can confirm the soldering iron works. For me the bigger ones bled like crazy, actually squirting. It was unnerving and freaked me out but 15 min of pressure by pinching stops the bleeding. Like others said, don't check or stop the pressure early or you will need to start over.

I found it takes about a week to heal and show no signs of a scar or they were even there. I had one scab fall off after a week and started bleeding again, after it stopped there was no sign of anything just clear skin.

Thanks everyone for posting your experiences. These small spots can have a huge impact on your life and self esteem. Although harmless they appear to look like some kind of STD and surly can freak out a partner.

Real easy, see your dermatologist and have diotherme. I've had this, works well. Although you have to repeat this every 7-8 years. Sorry but spelling may not be 100% correct re diotherme, obviously google to learn what this process is.

Cauterising them with silver nitrate sticks work too but, of course, only removes what is there. They come back, always. Nobody found a cure for them appearing at all?

Visine absolutely works.

could you give more information regarding the use of visine please. how often did you apply it ? how long did it take for them to disappear, what was your condition like before using visine. etc etc

Hi everyone.  Been reading this forum for a couple of years.  Always thought you all who posted here were bots (no way you can be real people),  and that "there's no way I'm going to take a soldering iron to my nuts!" 

Having suffered (cosmetically) with angiokeratoma now for more than 10 years, and with only minor thoughts of a cosmetic surgeon, I decided to try the hot-poker approach outlined in so many posts here.  I probably have more than 50 (maybe closer to 75) lesions on the sides and bottom of my scrotum, most appear as capillary aneurysms, with only a few that have turned very dark and harder.

I took cleanliness and disinfecting the instrument and areas very seriously.  Soap and water, hydrogen peroxide, hibiclens, betadine - before.  Sprayed area with lidocaine spray (CVS brand, couple of bucks a can of the spray, works wonderfully to numb the area).  Obviously the alcohol stings a bit but it goes numb pretty quickly.  Used a basic old radio-shack 35w soldering gun.  Got set up for any bleeding, and of course, a little bit of liquid courage (not too much though, have to have a clear head).

Wife was moral support and my nurse. 

After I felt the area was numb, I isolated the first of the angiokeratoma, and as most posters here state - touch with the tip of the iron for about 1/3 of a second.  I did.  And I heard sizzle and felt the pop!  Holy cow!  The second one popped and bled a bit.  The third one I held the iron on the skin a bit too long and it actually hurt a bit.  (Note that I did feel a little discomfort each time, but nothing I couldn't handle - no "searing pain" or anything like that - you feel the heat and a sting. But not bad and nothing that would stop you from doing this.)  I did about 10 on the right side.  And felt that was enough trauma for the first time around.  Most of them I heard the sizzle and felt the pop.  Only a few immediately had the skin turn white.  Others just stayed red.  I had a little bit of bleeding from two areas, but not much and it stopped within a minute or two with pressure and some gauze.

Post operative cleaning and disinfecting was similar - gently wash the area (don't burst burns or blisters if any, you've just burned your skin); hydrogen peroxide, hibiclens, iodine, and neosporin, and a sterile dressing. 

I'll give the area a couple of days to heal up before going back and trying more. 

Still not sure self-treatment for this is the smartest way to go, but if it saves $500-$1000 or more for every cosmetic appointment, or saves someone time/trouble/embarrassment, then it may be worth the price of admission.

Don't know about scarring with this procedure - posters here have said there is none.  I've heard medical professional talk about scarring (or none) with cryo, with heat, with laser.  Pain (or none) with all three.  Guess I'll know in a week or so.

Thanks to everyone on this forum who have taken the time give advice and share their stories over the years. 

I'm a real person, 51 years old, live on the East Coast, and if anyone has any questions, I'm happy to answer.  I'll provide follow up next week as to the status of the process.

-Bill

** Disclaimer - my story should not be considered by anyone as professional medical advice - in fact, I'd highly suggest no one attempts this type of self treatment, and see a medical professional instead.

I have several cherry angiomas on my torso some 4mm wide. I also have about 20-30 angiokeratomas on my scrotum. Some of them spontaneously bleed so I'm sick and tired of them.
It appears that on at least one occasion, the bleeding stayed under the skin and by scrotum looked like it had an area of purple surrounding several of them It went away after several months but I see it again recently. Has anyone had the same experience?

I also have one that gets kinda hard right at the edge of the head (helmet flange on top) that will to wax and wane from a dark bump to a hard 2 mm nodule with a slightly pointed top. If disturbed (think toweling off after shower) when it is largest, it will bleed like crazy. My dermatologist has twice refused to do anything about it so I am thinking of doing away with it myself. But it is probably its location that makes it different from the scrotum ones. Anyone try one of these?

I plan to try the soldering iron method after spraying with lydocaine.. I have a completely adjustable soldering iron with several tips. Does anyone here know how hot (or the least hot) the tip needs to be?
Also, does benzocaine work?
Thanks for all the posts. I had been thinking of burning them myself and this forum convinces me to go where others have gone before.