Cold substances have been used to treat skin problems for centuries.
Doctors use liquid nitrogen to freeze warts, while acne-treatment devices that use liquid oxygen date back to the 1920s (although whether they worked is still up for debate).
As far as ice rollers go, there’s been no clinical trial showing any benefits.
If you’re trying to reduce puffiness, you may theoretically see some improvement through effects on small blood vessels near the skin, but these will be short-lived.
There’s also some evidence that plunging your face into cold water stimulates the ‘rest and digest’ (parasympathetic) pathways of your nervous system, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Brrr.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Rebecca Webb, Newry) 'Should I start using an ice roller?'
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