If you ever saw liquid nitrogen in your high school science class, you know that it’s cold stuff: −346 °F at most. It’s often used for flash-freezing food and in cryotherapy, but could tiny injections of liquid nitrogen actually reduce the appearance of your wrinkles? A recent post on RealSelf has highlighted some of the speculation surrounding a new product, dubbed “Frotox,” which is expected to hit surgeons’ offices “in the not-too-distant future.”
Frotox was originally designed to alleviate pain, but has been found to be able to treat the appearance of wrinkles. LikeBotox, it works by inhibiting signals from targeted facial nerves, which allows certain muscles to relax and others to stretch. While Botox uses botulinum toxin to achieve this effect, liquid nitrogen is able to inhibit nerves with the power of cold.
According to the RealSelf report, patients supposedly feel a brief sensation of pressure, rather than cold. Because of the tiny amounts involved in the injections, the liquid nitrogen does not damage the surrounding skin.
Could this new nonsurgical treatment come to rival Botox or dermal fillers such as Radiesse, Restylane, and Juvederm? A report last month in the London Evening Standard indicates that the treatment has been approved by the US FDA, and has been used safely in medicine for years. The treatment consists of a pen-like device that contains tiny needles. These needles deliver the liquid nitrogen directly to the targeted facial nerves.
