The best part of waking up is when I finally get to ice roll my face, as it helps de-puff and add that extra radiance I desperately need in the morning. Cold therapy is one of my favorite, albeit cheapest, and most immediately effective parts of my skincare routine. So you can probably imagine I jumped at the chance to try Glacial Rx, a brand new CryoAesthetic treatment (i.e., a cold facial treatment) that promises to illuminate the skin and reduce age spots and hyperpigmentation in the most painless way possible.

After researching the treatment before my first trip to Shafer Clinic, I wondered, How can a device that sounds similar to my cheap ice roller have such an effect on hyperpigmentation and redness? Upon arriving at the clinic in Manhattan, I was greeted by Lucia Miranda LE CME, who would perform the treatment on me. I explained my struggles with hyperpigmentation and how I constantly work to prevent flare-ups (usually heat and sun-related). She assured me that I would not only love the treatment but that this newer technology might be the key to solving my problems once and for all. Ahead, learn everything you need to know about Glacial Rx.

What Is Glacial Rx?

"Glacial Rx is an FDA-cleared CryoAesthetic treatment that uses precision cooling technology to brighten skin, reduce redness and accelerate exfoliation," Dr. Dendy Engelman, board-certified dermatologist at the Shafer Clinic in NYC, explains. "It is also cleared to remove benign lesions—like solar lentigines and macular seborrheic keratoses." Dr. Engelman says the treatment uses a newer technology called Cryomodulation, which "harnesses cold to suppress the production of melanin, reduce age spots, and pigmentation."

Dr. Bruce Katz, director of Juva Skin and Laser Center in New York City, conducts clinical studies on Glacial Rx, and his clinic was the first one in the country to have the treatment. Dr. Katz explained in greater detail how Cryomodulation works: "When people develop hyperpigmentation, there is a mechanism involving tyrosinase, an enzyme that stimulates pigment cells to produce pigment, and the Cryomodulation, the cold technology, stops that event from happening." Dr. Katz added that the treatment was developed at Harvard by the same scientists who created CoolSculpting.

The Glacial Rx treatment includes three treatment modalities, though it's noted to be a two-step treatment, the third being a targeted spot treatment.

Benefits of Glacial Rx

• Reduces redness and inflammation
• Helps with and reduces hyperpigmentation and dark spots 
• Reduces skin dullness
• Tightens the skin

"This treatment calms inflammation and leaves the skin bright and glowing," Dr. Engelman says. "By offering two unique types of skin clearance, skin inflammation, and spot treatment, Glacial Rx works to break the inflammatory cycle to reduce inflammation resulting in calm, clear skin as well as remove benign lesions and dark spots."

Dr. Katz says additional benefits to Glacial Rx are still being studied. "Aside from treating pigment and inflammation, we are also finding that it works quite well for rosacea," he shares. "We are also treating psoriasis and looking at how it works on acne." The benefits of Glacial Rx also go beyond the face: "We are using it on other parts of the body to treat pigment and inflammation," Dr. Katz adds.

The treatment's benefits can last up to a year, though further studies on this are needed, according to Dr. Katz. He also says you'll notice results after one or two treatments. However, Dr. Engleman says, on average, patients will need about three treatments, depending on their goals. For example, I have gone for two treatments so far (one month apart) and have been recommended to have three treatments.