So what is this new hour-long ‘Glacial Facial’? It’s a skin treatment that was developed by doctors along with Massachusetts General Hospital, when they were conducting studies on how cold could be used to suppress unwanted pigmentation. Doctors were “using controlled cold temperatures to reduce the amount of activity in pigmentation sites in the skin, particularly for women with darker skin, since dark skin is very prone to pigmentation due to acne and other skin damage. As part of the studies, doctors learned that people with rosacea and sensitive skin also responded well to cold,” explains Dr. Bruce Katz, a board-certified dermatologist, and director of the Juva Skin & Laser Center in NYC, which has been offering the innovative treatment for several months.
“Patients with inflammatory conditions like eczema and rosacea don’t respond to typical facials. That’s because there is a lot of blood vessel activity with these conditions, which creates the redness and inflammation. Cold restricts the blood vessels and so reduces the activity,” Dr. Katz explained...
Dr. Katz recommends that patients undergo two to four Glacial Facials, each spaced out a month apart. “A lot of facials are relaxing and the face feels good afterward, but they don’t have lasting results. But with this treatment we have absolutely seen lasting improvement in patients,” he reports. The facial is also being studied to see if it’s effective in treating psoriasis.
