Facial cryomassage - cold treatment: reviews from cosmetologists

Why nitrogen?

Nowadays oxygen peeling is more popular. Everything is more or less clear with it - this chemical element is vital for skin cells. But why nitrogen? After all, there is not so much of it in the human body. Let's remember the basics of anatomy.

Despite the fact that nitrogen in the body is really only 2.5% (which is actually quite a lot!), it is present in absolutely all proteins. Moreover, it is their necessary structural component. It is also found in hemoglobin, some hormones and neurotransmitters. It turns out that without it, like without oxygen, our form of life is simply impossible.

Naturally, the lack of this element immediately affects your appearance and well-being. And since the skin is the largest organ, it is one of the first to suffer and changes are most noticeable there.

Fortunately, we get most of our nitrogen compounds from food. But when cleansing your face with liquid nitrogen, there is a possibility of its direct penetration into the skin.

How to do cryomassage at home

It is impossible to store liquid nitrogen at home and carry out procedures on your own. But you can have a facial massage with ice, and the instructions will make you happy:

1. Remove any remaining makeup, wash your face, and pat your face dry with a soft cloth. If you wish, you can take a warm shower before the procedure to open up the pores.
2. Apply your favorite mask with active ingredients. But before cryoprocedures, it is important not to use products with AHA acids or cosmetic clay. After all, exposure to cold will increase the penetration of active substances into tissues. You don't want the acid to hit too hard! An exception would be hyaluronic acid, as it provides moisture to the skin.
3. Place a sheet mask over your face to avoid direct contact of the ice with your skin. Then use cryostiks (a special tool made of stainless steel), a roller, or just ice cubes. Take one in each hand and work over your face, moving from the middle of your forehead to your temples. Repeat on the lower part of the face, then on the cheeks. Finally, go over the neck and décolleté area. Ice massage should not take more than 3 minutes.
4. Remove the sheet mask and use your favorite face cream. Pre-warm it in your palms, and then apply it to the skin, making upward movements.

Although the option will not compare with the results of the procedure in a salon, the principle of action will remain unchanged. You will not be able to clean off the top layer of dead cells, but the narrowing and subsequent expansion of the capillaries will improve blood circulation. As a result, inflammation will decrease; Also, massage with ice has a beneficial effect on the activity of the sebaceous glands.

Indications

Since the lifting effect of peeling with liquid nitrogen is insignificant and appears only after 10-15 procedures, and then with slight sagging of the skin, today it is most often prescribed exclusively for medicinal purposes. But here it really helps with minimal risks and at a very affordable price to cope with problems such as:

• papillomas and warts;
• inflamed acne;
• demodicosis;
• shallow pigmentation;
• greatly enlarged pores;
• oily or dry seborrhea;
• loss of skin tone;
• pale or unhealthy complexion;
• its uneven tone.

It can also be carried out after manual facial cleansing for the purpose of disinfection and quick closing of pores. Sometimes nitrogen cryomassage is prescribed after plastic surgery. It removes swelling well and accelerates tissue regeneration and wound healing.

Advantages

Facial cleansing performed with liquid nitrogen is a kind of cryomassage. Certain areas of the skin are rapidly cooled to ultra-low temperatures for 20-30 seconds - from -150 to -170°C. This provokes and accelerates various biochemical processes and allows one to obtain therapeutic effects.

Cosmetologists love liquid nitrogen for its undeniable advantages:

• the speed and ease of performing the procedure - it takes no more than 10-15 minutes;
• versatility and hypoallergenic - can work with almost any skin type and condition;
• pronounced antibacterial and antimycotic effect - at such temperatures the skin becomes almost sterile;
• rapid narrowing of pores - due to which the skin texture is evened out;
• stimulation of tissue regeneration – gives the effect of rapid cell rejuvenation;
• activation of subcutaneous blood circulation - creates an additional flow of oxygen and refreshes the complexion;
• acceleration of lymph flow - allows you to instantly get rid of swelling and cleanse the skin of toxins.

In addition, with a sharp change in temperature, blood vessels and capillaries narrow and then greatly expand, and thus strengthen their walls.

In fact, the procedure performs several functions at once: toning, treatment, rejuvenation and tightening of the skin. And all this without special equipment and expensive cosmetics!

Flaws

Naturally, cleansing the face with liquid nitrogen also has its disadvantages. The main thing is that it cannot cope with deep pimples, comedones and blackheads. This is a superficial, although very intense effect on the skin.

In addition, during work, patients feel a fairly strong burning and tingling sensation. And here it all depends on the individual pain threshold. Some people tolerate the procedure very easily, but for others it seems unbearable and the cosmetologist has to look for other cleaning methods.

Nitrogen peeling as a therapeutic agent for skin diseases

The effect of liquid nitrogen on the skin of the face is carried out not only for the purpose of rejuvenation, cleansing and improving the general condition of the epidermis. Sometimes cold is the best option for treating skin diseases.

Cuperosis

Tissue hydration increases, blood stagnation is eliminated, and the epidermis stops reacting violently to external stimuli. The effect is pronounced, but temporary. Therapy is carried out only in the remission stage, otherwise the inflammatory process can worsen.

Acne

Nitrogen peeling and cryomassage can relieve even severe acne. In addition to external improvement of the condition, the cause of rashes is eliminated, inflammatory processes are neutralized, and infiltrates are eliminated.

To treat the condition, the shading method is used. For this purpose, sterile cotton wool is wrapped around a wooden stick and soaked in nitrogen. The instrument is placed perpendicular to the surface of the face and lightly pressed against the problem area. This is repeated until the treated area turns white.

The number of procedures is prescribed by a specialist. The intensity of exposure should be constantly reduced.

Post-acne

The principle of getting rid of scars is similar to the technique of treating acne. Only the effect on the epidermis is longer and more intense. Superficial formations can disappear after the first procedure; deeper ones can take up to three sessions.

Demodicosis

In this case, complex therapy should be carried out, using anti-mite drugs, a special diet, and cosmetic procedures. The number of procedures and the strength of impact are determined by the attending physician; they are individual for each case.

Excessive accumulation of fat in the cheeks and chin

The effect enhances metabolism, accelerates the breakdown of fats, and stimulates blood circulation. In addition to getting rid of excess fat cells, it tightens the skin and prevents stretch marks.

Rosacea

Treatment carried out in the remission stage of this condition helps to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, expand their lumen, and get rid of congestion by emptying the capillaries. Papules can also be removed from the surface of the face by exposure to liquid nitrogen.

Preparation and execution

The procedure does not require special preliminary preparation. In the absence of contraindications, it can be performed immediately after consultation. The rehabilitation period is only a few hours. There is no significant peeling of the skin.

Before the procedure

There are also no significant restrictions before the procedure. I do not recommend that my clients use decorative cosmetics when going to the salon. In any case, it will have to be washed off and can be reapplied no earlier than a day later.

You should also not use scrubs that are too harsh, especially stone scrubs. They leave micro-scratches on the skin and redness increases after the procedure. At least a week should pass after chemical peels and injection techniques. After plastic surgery – two.

Execution technique

Cryomassage or nitrogen facial cleansing can be performed contact or non-contact. In the first case, the cells in the frostbite zone die and are later replaced by completely new ones, and in the second, they begin to divide more actively. An experienced cosmetologist for problem skin will combine these two options to get the best possible results.

The step-by-step procedure looks like this:

• the patient's hair is tucked under a bandage or cap;
• lay him down on the couch;
• cover the upper body and neck with a napkin;
• perform a thorough make-up removal;
• wash the skin with water and gel;
• wipe with non-alcohol lotion;
• Dip a cotton swab on a holder (reed) into a thermos with liquid nitrogen;
• smoothly mix it along the massage lines at a short distance from the skin;
• in places with papillomas, warts or acne, delay for up to 30 seconds.

No additional skin treatment is performed after the end of the session. But on a hot day, rain or frosty weather, you can go outside no earlier than 15 minutes later.

Recovery

Even if the procedure technology has not been violated, nitrogen cleansing is a severe stress for the skin, to which it reacts with severe redness. I always advise you to immediately go home after it and return to your business only the next day. Moreover, on the first day the face is very sensitive to any negative external influences.

On the second day, a slight feeling of skin tightness may appear. A high-quality moisturizer will help cope with it. If it contains aloe vera extract, it will speed up tissue regeneration and enhance the cleaning effect.

When using the contact method in these areas, the skin will soon begin to peel off. Under no circumstances should the formed crusts be peeled off. And if there are too many of them, then you can carefully do gommage or superficial chemical peeling, but not earlier than on the fourth day.

Also, your face will have to be protected from active sun for a couple of weeks, especially in summer or winter in the mountains and/or snowy areas. After any cleansing, the protective functions of the skin are temporarily weakened and ultraviolet radiation can trigger the appearance of pigmentation.

Other applications of cryotherapy

Although cryotherapy is effective in the fight against acne, it also copes with a number of other problems:

• allows you to restore youth to aging skin in the décolleté area;
• eliminates some types of scars;
• removes benign tumors.

Cryotherapy is also used for the whole body, and athletes resort to it. Research has shown that exposing the body to cold stimulates its functioning. But for noticeable improvements, the athlete would have to lie down for 45 minutes. in a bathtub full of ice. To rid themselves of such a prospect, stars (including Cristiano Ronaldo) resort to cryomassages of the body. In addition to stimulating the functioning of the body, the result is accelerated tissue restoration and pain relief.

Cryomassage successfully removes toxins, fights the first signs of aging, and relieves the feeling of fatigue. When used to treat the entire body, it can reduce fat deposits and get rid of cellulite.

Frotox: a new generation of cryotherapy

Technology does not stand still, and cryotherapy has moved to a new level. The technique, called “frotox,” will put Botox manufacturers out of work in the future. London experts say cold temperatures can smooth out wrinkles.

The explanation is given by Dr. Alexandrides, known to English beauties. He says, “You know that feeling when your hands are cold and you can’t move your fingers? This is the result of the effects of cold on nerve endings. If you direct cryotherapy to certain points and tissues, the effect will be similar. We influence the nerve endings responsible for the movement of muscles on the forehead. Thanks to cryo, the nerve stops working, and within 4 months you don’t have those unsightly horizontal wrinkles. The folds between the eyebrows also disappear.”

The device used resembles a large ballpoint pen. Before the procedure, you are given a light anesthesia, then using a machine for 30 seconds. affect the desired nerve. Depending on the condition of the skin, the process is repeated several times. You won’t feel any pain, and your facial expressions will remain the same: frotox simply relaxes the muscles a little.

The effect lasts for several months, but permanent results cannot be achieved with Botox. But we are not talking about toxicity, which will be an advantage over the usual method of combating wrinkles. Dermatologists say that over time, frotox may replace the use of anti-aging creams and serums.

Contraindications

You will be surprised to learn that there are quite a few contraindications to nitrogen cryo-cleansing of the face. This is primarily due to the high intensity of exposure to ultra-low temperatures on the skin. The procedure is not performed when:

• pronounced rosacea;
• epilepsy and mental disorders;
• active form of the herpes virus;
• any acute inflammatory processes;
• elevated body temperature;
• recent strokes;
• chronic and acute migraines;
• respiratory diseases;
• violations of skin integrity;
• open form of tuberculosis.

The doctor determines the presence of contraindications during a preliminary conversation with the patient. If you are not asked a single question about your health, you should doubt the qualifications of such a cosmetologist.