As someone who loves running ice cubes across my face and prefers lighter-touch skin treatments, I was intrigued by the no-downtime, low-intensity promise of Glacial Rx. A relative newcomer to the skincare scene, the treatment launched in 2021 and remains the only device that’s FDA cleared to treat age spots and inflammation-related issues (rosacea, acne, general irritation) using controlled cold.
Advanced Aesthetic Solutions in Fort Myers is one of the only local practices offering the complete Glacial arsenal, with three modalities: Glide, a 10-minute cooling treatment often used after other procedures to calm the skin; Gloss, which layers the cold with active serums and standard facial elements to brighten and smooth; and Freeze, the most advanced, delivering concentrated, icy bursts to halt melanin production, so spots fade as skin sheds. Only practices with medical oversight—like Advanced Aesthetic, where founder Cyndie Witthuhn is a nurse practitioner—can offer Freeze.
When my colleague Wendy Tooley, whose luminous skin I have long admired, said Cyndie is one of the best in the business, I was sold on Advanced Aesthetic for my Glacial trial run.
Located off College Parkway in a brown, 1980s-built plaza housing mom-and-pop businesses, the setting isn’t flashy. Inside, the emphasis is on knowledge, authentic service and results. (Cyndie keeps a Naples office, where she sees Collier County patients a couple of times a week, too.)
The spa’s ethos came through clearly with my esthetician, Melody Keyser. With 15 years in the industry, including five at Advanced Aesthetic, she has that balance of warmth and no-nonsense authority you want in someone working on your face. Melody didn’t oversell and was candid about which other treatments and at-home routines would be worth it for me or not.
By the time she wheeled over the Glacial unit, I felt like I was getting straight advice—not a sales pitch. Aesthetic cryotherapy has existed for decades, but Glacial Rx is the first to use cold to address the main culprit behind many skin issues: inflammation. I was there for the Gloss facial, which alternates the cooling wand with rounds of cleansing, dermaplaning, exfoliation, and a couple serums and masks for brightening and hydrating.
There’s a plush blanket on the table to offset Glacial’s chill, but you likely won’t need it. The wand felt like a smooth, icy stone moving over my face, refreshing in the Florida heat and never harsh. I looked forward to it after each facial stage; the wand soothed any minor sting from the exfoliating agents.
By the end, I left with a flush that mostly faded by dinner and was gone the next day. I didn’t notice the dramatic ‘lit-from-within’ glow I’d read about. But considering I immediately launched into days of travel, little sleep and plenty of stress, my skin held up noticeably better than it should have.
The treatment continues to work as inflammation calms beneath the surface. Over the following weeks, my usual afternoon redness and stress breakouts were less frequent, milder and quicker to fade. Results are said to deepen and last longer after subsequent treatments (recommended monthly, with three rounds to see significant change for more advanced concerns).
Gloss can serve as your monthly go-to facial, covering the basics, with optional Freeze add-ons for age spots. Melody notes that male clients especially like it for addressing rhinophyma, the bulbous redness around the nose. For most, it’s a complementary treatment—a gentler, inflammation-focused option between heavier peels or lasers.
With redness being my main offender, I see it as a steady ally. I’ll be back for round two.