Botox Experts Concerned Over New Treatment ‘Focused Cold Therapy’

Cosmetic surgery experts have warned against a controversial new alternative to Botox, with safety concerns and scepticism over its effectiveness central to their apprehension.

Billed as the world’s first toxin-free treatment for dynamic facial lines, this procedure, called ‘Focused Cold Therapy,’ was initially hailed as a revolution in the plastic surgery industry.

However, many experts are uncertain about the benefits of this new procedure, especially considering the relative newness of the treatment and its lack of testing.

Considering the fundamentals of the procedure - liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the targeted wrinkles - many dermatologists, including Dr. Nazim Mahmood of Face Clinic London, are sceptical about the cosmetic benefits of Focused Cold Therapy.

“This is a new treatment that is under trial and therefore has only ever been used in small amount of people nationally,” Dr Mahmood commented.

“Consequently the short, medium and long term side effects and risks of this treatment are not yet fully known.

“On a practical level, unlike Botox, the procedure requires local anaesthesia to numb the skin before the procedure, whereas Botox is generally given without any pain relief as it only causes relatively little pain.

“Finally, on a cost level it is a lot more expensive compared to Botox, at £500, compared to the average cost for three areas of Botox which is around £250 - £350.”

Furthermore, some have expressed their concerns over the safety of this treatment.

Doctor Sam Bunting, a cosmetic dermatologist, had this to say on the issue: “This is not a treatment you can easily fine-tune because you are inhibiting the nerve, rather than targeting individual muscles. That is a bit like attacking the tree at its trunk to get an apple off a branch.”

Patients have also complained about pain and a lack of facial movement after the procedure. While local anaesthetics are applied during the application of the frozen needle, nerves can often register the pain for hours, or even days, after leaving the doctor’s office.

Experts are urging additional testing and fine tuning before recommending the treatment to the wider public. Unlike proven treatments, such as Botox, it is just too soon to evaluate the safety of this new treatment, not to mention its effectiveness to reduce the visible signs of ageing.