According to Dr. Loretta Ciraldo MD FAAD, a Miami-based board-certified derm with over 40 years of experience and the founder of Dr. Loretta skincare, these tools offer real benefits. “When we started doing ablative lasers (which produce tremendous heat) we also started to use cold sprays to keep skin cool. The added advantages were found to be lessening skin redness and decreased water loss from the skin surface, resulting In a perceptible boost in skin hydration,” she explains. “From this in-office experience, we learned that cold is a therapeutic modality that can be used in-office with liquid nitrogen or at home with instruments that are very cold applied directly to the skin.” 

Ciraldo also cites a 2008 study that found cold therapy can less inflammation and increase the skin’s own antioxidant activity (how cool is that?).

The best part is that almost anyone can use them. “Cold devices are very good for most skin types and they can be used to lessen skin puffiness and redness as well as offer an anti-aging approach since cold activates our skin’s own antioxidants,” Ciraldo says. However, anyone who has a cold sensitivity, such as those with Raynaud’s Syndrome, should avoid cryo tools, since they could risk damaging tissue due to the cold exposure.