Chillax it's Frotox...the new Botox

Hollywood is famous for its frozen-faced, Botoxed-to-the-max celebs. But no matter how safe Botox may be, not everyone wants to have purified botulinum toxin injected into their face.

So excitement is growing about a revolutionary new no-toxin alternative that promises to freeze your wrinkles away — instantly. Cryoneuromodulation — or Coldtox or Frotox — is in the final stage of human trials here in London with Harley Street plastic surgeon Yannis Alexandrides. It is due to launch later this year and already the buzz is that it could be the next big weapon in the war against wrinkles.

“If you get very cold,” says Dr Alexandrides, “your hands might become numb and you could find it hard to move your fingers. This is the effect of cold on nerves. We are now using that effect in a highly targeted way on a specific nerve that controls the muscles that cause wrinkles on the forehead and between the brows. An intense cold shock puts the nerve into ‘hibernation’ for up to four months, so muscles relax and wrinkles disappear.”

The use of cold to temporarily disable nerves was originally used to treat chronic pain. This treatment is also approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration and has been used safely in medicine for years. The new device being trialled by Dr Alexandrides — which uses focused cold therapy for cosmetic use — has been patented by MyoScience Inc, which employs several former staffers from Botox giant Allergan.

So what happens during a treatment? After the forehead is numbed with local anaesthetic, the pen-type device containing needle-like “smart tips” is applied. The tips penetrate the skin and deliver two to eight 30-second bursts of intense cold to the targeted facial nerve. The whole treatment takes around 10 minutes and patients are said to experience the feeling as “pressure” rather than cold or pain.

Does it work? Initial trials shows that everyone had fewer wrinkles after treatment. “The effects seem to last for three to four months,” says Dr Alexandrides. “We are currently refining the procedure to get the most predictable and long-lasting results.” And it is it safe? Side-effects include injection site redness, headaches and discomfort, just like Botox.

Toxins aside, Frotox’s biggest plus factor is that, unlike Botox, which takes up to a week to kick in, the effects of the treatment are instant. There is no nervous wait to see if you look fresh or frozen, lifted or suffer eyebrow droop — though, technically, any of those side-effects could occur.

Trial participants have been sworn to secrecy but one London woman who agreed to talk to me was enthusiastic. ‘It’s amazing! It’s so fast, the results are instant, and my forehead looks really smooth yet natural.” Because you need to be an expert in anatomy to perform the treatment well, it’s expected that only plastic surgeons will be trained to use it, but it will cost around the same as Botox, from £200 to £350.

So here’s looking to a cold face next winter — but if you can’t wait that long, here are four alternatives to Botox you can try right now.

The Serum

Freeze for less with Balance Wrinkle Free Serum containing Syn-Ake, a synthetic peptide designed to simulate the paralysing effect of viper venom — though fortunately in a (very much) less potent form. The makers claim crow’s feet can be reduced by 24 per cent.