What if you could get better-looking skin by blasting super-cold, pressurized air onto your face? Or reduce muscle soreness and pain by sitting in a chamber filled with extremely frigid air? (We’re talking temperatures below -200°F.) Cryotherapy, which first gained popularity in Japan in the late 1970s, has been showing up in tons of social feeds lately, but influencers aren’t the only ones touting its benefits. Derms and skin specialists are too.

“During a non-invasive cryofacial, skin is exposed to extremely cold air for two to three minutes using liquid nitrogen,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, an associate professor of dermatology and the director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. With cryotherapy, you’re essentially introducing a controlled frost-bite, which forces your body to respond by sending more blood to the area and warming it up.

“When the blood arrives, it brings with it oxygen, which does a whole host of things, from stimulating collagen production, to reducing redness, to minimizing fine lines and pores. But what you’ll notice most is an instant glow,” says Roger Kapoor, MD, a board-certified, Harvard-trained dermatologist. Extreme cold also stimulates the body’s healing response by decreasing inflammation, making it an option for eczema and rosacea sufferers.

Ahead, skin-care experts share their thoughts and recommendations when it comes to cryofacial therapy.

How It Works

For years, ice has been used as an at-home beauty remedy to reduce skin puffiness. “Years later, companies introduced ice globes with handles that made it easier and less painful to apply cold to the face,” says Samantha Susca, the lead esthetician at Casa Cipriani Spa in New York City. “Today, cryotherapy, which uses an extremely cold gas in place of ice, has evolved into the next cold therapy.” 

Skin-Care Benefits

Cryotherapy has both cosmetic and medically therapeutic benefits. “By calming the skin with cool temperatures, a cryofacial can help reduce inflammation and redness and has been reported to improve radiance and minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines,” notes Dr. Zeichner.

Cryofacials can also stimulate collagen production to improve firmness and texture. “It’s especially useful after surgeries such as facelifts, rhinoplasty, liposuction, or orthopedic-related surgeries including joint replacements, fracture repairs, and tendon surgeries,” says Dr. Kapoor. “Cryotherapy can help speed up the skin’s ability to repair itself by increasing blood flow to the area attempting to recover. The key is to not apply the cryotherapy on fresh incisions and to wait for initial natural healing to begin.”

Who Can Benefit

Cryotherapy can help anyone looking to improve their skin’s overall appearance and texture. “Since it reduces swelling and inflammation, an individual with an inflammatory skin condition, such as acne, rosacea and eczema, can benefit from cryotherapy,” says Dr. Kapoor. “The ability of cryotherapy to reduce inflammation is one of the reasons athletes use it to recover from muscle soreness or pain after injuries. The same could be said for anyone experiencing pain from arthritis.”    

“I treat people suffering from jet lag, hangovers, and brides prior to their weddings,” says Susca. “Cryotherapy is especially great for recovering athletes or those with inflammatory or autoimmune conditions.”

What to Expect

During a professional treatment, “Vaporized liquid nitrogen is pumped out of a hose and moved quickly over clean, dry skin for two to three minutes,” says Dr. Kapoor, who shares it can also be applied to the knees and joints to help with pain relief. For whole-body cryotherapy, the patient enters a chamber where liquid nitrogen is vaporized and mixed with air, creating a cold air stream that surrounds the patient for two to three minutes.

To prevent cold-related injuries during a whole-body treatment, minimal clothing is recommended: gloves, a headband to cover the ears, a nose-and-mouth mask, and socks and slippers. Cryofacials can be performed by dermatologists, plastic surgeons, licensed estheticians, and certified cryotherapists at medical offices, medical spas, or cryotherapy centers.

Side Effects

Some people will experience temporary redness and mild swelling, which should dissipate within a few hours. “The longer the treatment is applied to the skin, the more likely an individual will experience some degree of numbness or tingling,” says Dr. Kapoor. “The extreme cold temperatures may also cause skin sensitivity or an allergic reaction, and prolonged exposure can lead to skin discoloration. If you have any concerns, I suggest doing a patch test.”

As for the trend of applying dry ice to the face at home, “I absolutely do not advise this, as it can cause severe damage to the skin leading to ulcerations and scarring,” says Dr. Zeichner. And when it comes to professional treatments, Dr. Zeichner offers some warnings: “At low levels, a cryofacial can calm skin inflammation, but at high concentrations it can do harm by destroying skin cells and fat. When [applied] for longer durations of time, it can cause direct damage to the skin cells and impact oxygenation of the tissue.” Pregnant women, or anyone with sensitive skin, rosacea, or eczema should consult with their doctor prior to a cryotherapy treatment. 

Aftercare

“I usually advise my patients to remain hydrated, drinking at least 16-20 ounces of water or fluids rich in electrolytes after a treatment session, and to apply moisturizer. Extreme cold temperatures can result in mild dehydration,” says Dr. Kapoor, who suggests reaching for a moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid.

“You’ll also want to avoid steam rooms, hot showers, and saunas for the rest of the day to maintain the cryotherapy benefits,” says Susca. Apply a sunscreen post-therapy as skin can become more sun-sensitive.