Overview
Cryogen spray cooling protects the skin surface while a laser heats the upper dermis. The authors tested whether this cooling, combined with a nonablative Nd:YAG laser at 1320 nm, is safe and effective for facial wrinkles. 35 adults with wrinkles around both eyes had 3 treatments, 2 weeks apart, and were assessed at 12 and 24 weeks after the last one.
Findings
- 35 adults with wrinkles around both eyes.
- 3 nonablative Nd:YAG (1320 nm) laser treatments with cryogen spray cooling, 2 weeks apart.
- At 12 weeks: small but statistically significant improvement in mild, moderate and severe wrinkle groups.
- At 24 weeks: statistically significant improvement only in the severe wrinkle group.
- Temporary hyperpigmentation: 4 sites (5.6%).
- Barely visible pinpoint pitted scars: 2 sites (2.8%).
- The authors conclude cooling protects the skin surface and avoids much of the morbidity of other resurfacing methods.
What it means for a patient
- Nonablative laser with surface cooling gave only minor wrinkle improvement.
- By 6 months, improvement held only for the most severe wrinkles.
- Side effects were few: 5.6% of sites had temporary darkening and 2.8% had tiny pitted scars.
- This was a 35-person study limited to the area around the eyes, with no untreated comparison reported in the abstract.
Why this paper matters
It showed that cryogen spray cooling can protect the skin surface during nonablative laser wrinkle treatment. It also documented that the wrinkle improvement from this approach was minor. Cited 134 times (NIH iCite, 2026-09-25).
Terms
- Cryogen spray cooling: a burst of cold spray that cools the skin surface during laser treatment.
- Nonablative laser: a laser that heats the skin without removing its surface.
- Nd:YAG laser: a type of laser; here used at a wavelength of 1320 nm.
- Photocoagulation: heating tissue with light until it firms.
- Epidermis: the outer layer of the skin.
- Dermis: the deeper skin layer that holds collagen.
- Rhytides: wrinkles.
- Periorbital: around the eyes.