Cutaneous Implications of Whole Body Cryotherapy

Main Article Content

Aaron S. Farberg
Stephen Donohue
Alexander Farberg
Rebeca W. Teplitz
Darrell S. Rigel

Keywords

cryotherapy, sub-freezing, temperature, recovery, exercise, rehabilitation, skin, rejuvenation

Abstract

Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) is a medical treatment utilizing sub-freezing temperatures to enhance recovery after exercise and facilitate injury rehabilitation. Recently the therapy has been advocated to help skin appear and feel healthier, fight age-related deficiencies, and increase antioxidant production. The currently available evidence appears to be insufficient to support the use of WBC for improving skin and there is some small potential for risk. There are no well-controlled studies evaluating the clinical effects of WBC on the skin. Although there is selected data to support possible theories for WBC’s purported skin rejuvenation effects, the evidence at this time remains limited. Further investigation may be warranted to determine if WBC can actually have a proven beneficial effect on skin.

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