Cold Therapy: The New Old Thing You Have To Try
Long before Kylie and Kendall Jenner touted the “slush facial” as the next big thing in radiance boosting, Dr. Fulton was expounding the virtues of cold therapy for skin health. What Dr. Fulton knew then, holds true today. Cold therapy has some excellent benefits for skin, but how you do it makes all the difference.
In his book Acne Rx, Dr. Fulton explained the process of cryotherapy, dry ice mixed with acetone, introduced in the sixties. “The mixture, called CO2 slush, is rubbed by the physician over the affected area. An even colder agent is liquid nitrogen which must be applied carefully since it may produce deeper freezing and permanent damage.”
Is freezing good acne therapy? Dr. Fulton had this to say, “It works, but has several drawbacks. First, the potent chemical freezes carry risks if not carefully controlled. No patient wants to exchange acne for frostbite, which can permanently destroy skin areas. Second, freezing techniques must be administered in a doctor’s office and not merely on a once-a-month, or even once a week basis. For freezing to have a real effect on acne, the skin needs to be cooled down every day.”
The principle behind cryotherapy is sound, just not entirely safe or feasible. Freezing produces ice crystals in the epidermis. As these crystals thaw out, damage within the top cells stimulates new cell growth. Additionally, freezing produces an anti-inflammatory effect reducing redness, and stimulating healing of blemishes and cysts.
Dr. Fulton recommended a simpler, cheaper, readily available alternative: the ice cube.
Rubbing ice over your skin stimulates cell renewal and healing, reduces redness and inflammation, and increases the absorption of follow-on products to maximize their effectiveness. And it’s virtually free.
Try a little ice therapy today. Start with clean skin. Rub the ice over your face for two to three minutes. Follow with your toner, apply a Vivant corrective serum or BP Acne Gel, and see the results. Cold therapy is beneficial for all skin issues, not just acne. And right now, is the perfect time to start incorporating it into your routine to undo the effects of the holiday season.
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