Cold plasma therapy is an innovative skin treatment that utilizes the unique effects of cold plasma on skin cells and tissue. This article will explain the step-by-step process of what happens during a typical cold plasma therapy session.
Cold plasma refers to an ionized gas containing a cocktail of ions, electrons, reactive species, and UV light. It is applied on skin using a handheld device that generates plasma under controlled conditions.
When used on skin tissue, cold plasma improves issues like acne, scarring, wrinkles, and texture by stimulating collagen production, exfoliation, and other restorative skin cell processes.
Below we take a closer look at the stages before, during, and after a cold plasma therapy session.
Before the Cold Plasma Treatment
Patient Consultation
The first step is meeting with the patient to:
- Understand their treatment goals and expectations
- Assess their medical history and any contraindications
- Evaluate their skin type, sensitivity, and condition
This helps customize the plasma treatment plan accordingly. Patients may need multiple sessions depending on their skin disorder severity.
Some contraindications include:
- Pregnancy and breast feeding
- Having an electronic device implanted into the body such as pacemaker or cochlear implant.
- Those who have epilepsy, unstable heart conditions.
- Those who have haemophilia or blood coagulation disorders.
- Those with hepatitis, aids, ALS, immunodeficiency, or who have had cancer in the past 5 years.
- Active herpes infection
- Oral steroids in the past 2 weeks.
Pre-treatment Care
Patients are provided instructions for pre-treatment care to prep the skin, such as:
- Avoid sun exposure and tanning for 2-4 weeks before
- Refrain from chemical peels and laser therapy for 2 weeks prior
- Stop retinoids and benzoyl peroxide 3-5 days before
- Avoid shaving on the day of treatment
- Come with clean, makeup-free skin
Following these guidelines optimizes treatment outcomes and reduces side effects.
The Cold Plasma Skin Treatment
The plasma treatment itself involves the following steps:
- Cleansing and Preparation
The skin surface is first cleaned to remove makeup, oils, debris, and impurities. A light peel is also applied to remove any dead skin and allow better penetration of the cold plasma.
- Plasma Device Settings
The technician customizes the plasma device parameters based on the patient’s:
- Skin condition being treated
- Skin type and sensitivity
- Tolerance for plasma-induced sensations
- Plasma Application
The plasma hand piece glides over the treatment areas uniformly just above the skin. typically in straight lines or small circles. The technician oversees patients sensations and skin responses like erythema.
Treated areas include the face, neck, décolletage, hands, arms, and anywhere else requiring plasma therapy. Session duration depends on the area size, ranging 10-20 minutes.
- Post-Treatment Cool Down
Calming serums or a mask is applied immediately after treatment to close pores, soothe the skin and minimize temporary redness.
Aftercare
Post-treatment guidelines given to patients include:
- Following this treatment, you skin continues to absorb anything applied to it more readily for up to 12 hours. Therefore, it is very important nothing is applied to the skin for 12 hours unless it is approved by your clinician.
- Cold plasma can temporarily increase the photosensitivity of skin, therefore daily application of a gentle sunscreen with a minimum of SPF30 is mandatory after each treatment and during the treatment course. Avoid sun exposure for at least 48 hours.
- Expected down time is 1-3 days of possible redness, dryness, tingling.
- Use only gentle cleansers and moisturizers.
- Avoid high intensity exercise that causes excessive sweating for 12 hours after treatment
- Avoid extreme temperatures such as saunas, seam rooms, sunbeds and intense sun for 12 hours.
- Avoid waxing, bleaching, depilatory creams, laser hair removal and electrolysis for at least 72 hours.
- Do not swim in chlorinated water for 12 hours.
- Do not apply any type of active product such as retinoids AHA, BHAs or exfoliation products for at least 12 hours or until redness and sensitivity has decreased. sweaty exercise for 24 hours
Many patients see improvements after 1-2 sessions however a course of treatment is required especially for more problematic skin conditions. Maintenance sessions can prolong the effects. Side effects like irritation and blistering are rare with appropriate protocols.
Conclusion
Cold plasma therapy is a well-tolerated, low risk treatment suitable for various skin concerns. The process involves in-depth consultations, pre-treatment prep, controlled plasma application, cooling down, and post-treatment care for optimal results.
With competent providers and adherence to guidelines, patients can expect visible improvements in complexion, tone, and texture with minimal downtime after cold plasma sessions.
References:
Dr Platon Ultra Plasma User Manual.
Dr Platon and 4T Medical Training Manual