Focused cold therapy may significantly improve dynamic forehead wrinkles

SAN FRANCISCO — Among patients being treated for dynamic forehead wrinkles, focused cold therapy achieved significant improvement, with no serious adverse events and generally mild, temporary side effects, according to study results presented at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting.

Researchers used a novel cryotherapy device on the temporal branch of the facial nerve in 88 patients with a score two or greater on the validated five-point Wrinkle Scale (5WS). Of these patients, 65 were randomly assigned to either immediate or delayed treatment. The delayed arm served as a control group at 30 days post-baseline before undergoing treatment.

A panel of three blinded physicians used the 5WS to assess forehead wrinkles at baseline and at 7, 30, 60 and 90 days after treatment.

Within the immediate treatment group, 96.9% of patients experienced one point or more of improvement on the 5WS and 93.8% experienced two points or more at day 30, compared with 6.5% and 0%, respectively, in the control group.

Ninety-three percent of patients in the delayed treatment group experienced one point or more of improvement and 89.7% experienced two or more points of improvement on the 5WS at 30 days post-treatment.

For 67% of all treated patients, the researchers observed a sustained effect through day 60.

Bruising, swelling and pain were the most commonly reported side effects, which were typically mild and resolved within 2 weeks, according to the researchers.

Focused cold therapy blocks the impulse conduction of motor nerves, achieving temporary muscle relaxation and reduction of dynamic facial wrinkles, according to the researchers. — by Abigail Sutton

Reference:

Brauer JA, et al. Paper #1789. Presented at: American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting. March 20-24, 2015; San Francisco.