[Edaily Reporter Kim Jinsoo ] “If energy-based medical devices (EBD) are a powerful engine, precision cooling is like a high-performance brake. It’s similar to how having good brakes allows you to utilize the engine’s power more effectively when needed.”

Park Jun-hong, director of May Morning Dermatology Clinic, met with E-Daily on the 21st of last month to discuss RecensMedical, Inc.’s cooling medical device, “TargetCool,” stating, “The biggest difference is that we’ve transformed cooling technology from a mere auxiliary tool into a therapeutic variable that can control both temperature and time.”

Dr. Park, who previously served as the Medical Director and Academic Director of the Korean Society of Dermatology, currently uses TargetCool for skin cooling and pain management before and after EBD procedures such as laser and radiofrequency treatments. According to him, the true value of TargetCool lies in its integration with existing equipment. It complements EBD treatments by reducing pain and the risk of thermal damage through precision cooling, and by incorporating a drug delivery system (DDS), it can deliver necessary ingredients to the skin.

Complementing Laser and Radiofrequency Procedures Through Controlled Cooling Temperature

“Cooling” is not a new concept in dermatology. Various methods have been used, ranging from contact cooling devices to ice packs and equipment that sprays cold air or refrigerant. However, contact cooling has limitations in sufficiently lowering skin temperature, and while methods that spray refrigerant or cold air allow for rapid cooling, it is difficult to precisely set and maintain the target temperature.

In contrast, TargetCool can rapidly cool down to as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius by spraying a refrigerant, while simultaneously setting and maintaining the target temperature. Director Park stated, “TargetCool allows us to specify the desired cooling temperature, monitor the actual skin temperature, and maintain the set range, enabling a more quantitative and reproducible application of cooling.”

These characteristics are particularly effective when used in combination with EBD. While laser or radiofrequency procedures can yield better therapeutic results as energy levels increase, they inevitably come with greater risks of pain and thermal damage. Utilizing cooling helps suppress excessive temperature rises in the epidermis while maintaining the deep thermal energy required for treatment.

A prime example is the radiofrequency lifting procedure “Thermage.” This approach broadens treatment options for patients who are hesitant about sedation and reduces the burden on medical staff regarding patient monitoring and medication management.

Dr. Park stated, “Using anesthetic cream in combination with TargetCool helps enhance the anesthetic effect, reducing pain to the point where the procedure can be performed without sedation,” adding, “In particular, we can significantly increase the Thermage intensity even without sedation; this higher intensity ultimately leads to better treatment outcomes, and patients are very satisfied.”

Depending on the procedure, the use of anesthetic cream can be reduced or omitted altogether. Thoroughly cooling the skin before a skin booster treatment helps reduce pain, which in turn shortens the waiting time after applying the anesthetic cream and reduces the patient’s overall wait time. It can also serve as an alternative for patients who experience erythema or irritant skin reactions to anesthetic cream.

It can also be used post-procedure. Dr. Park uses TargetCool to soothe heat and erythema immediately following laser treatments. From the patient’s perspective, the benefits include reduced pain and a shorter recovery time before returning to daily activities.

From Laser Treatments to Drug Delivery… Utilizing Combination Therapy

Combining precision cooling with DDS further expands the range of applications. TargetCool DDS transforms liquid medications or active ingredients into microscopic frozen particles and delivers them to the skin at high speed; as the particles come into contact with the skin, they melt due to body heat, releasing the active ingredients.

Dr. Park cited the treatment of pigmentation issues, such as melasma, as a prime example of DDS application. The process involves treating the affected area with a laser, then cooling and soothing it with TargetCool while applying active ingredients such as vitamin C or tranexamic acid. This effectively combines lesion treatment, skin protection, and the delivery of active ingredients into a single procedure.

“In the past, we used methods such as drug injections, rubbing in topical treatments, and iontophoresis,” he said. “Injections carry the risks of pain and bleeding and are difficult to apply to the entire face, but TargetCool cools the skin after laser treatment, enhancing drug penetration and allowing for relatively uniform application.”

TargetCool DDS serves a different purpose than conventional DDS systems. While traditional DDS systems used for drug delivery aim for high penetration through methods such as microneedling or forcing drugs into the skin with high pressure, TargetCool DDS focuses on enhancing the delivery of active ingredients beyond the skin barrier—more effectively than standard topical application—while minimizing irritation.

Director Park emphasized, “Although it does not directly deliver medication deep into the dermis, it can be used to apply ingredients across the entire skin surface or as a device to assist with laser treatments, which actually allows us to target a niche market.”

In particular, TargetCool offers cost-effectiveness because a single unit can be used repeatedly for various procedures, including cooling, pain management, and drug application.

Dr. Park explained, “We must consider not only the price of the device and consumables but also how frequently it can be used for a variety of procedures and what added value it brings to existing treatments; since the introduction of the large-capacity tank system, both the frequency of use and the scope of application have expanded.”

He continued, “Managing temperature and exposure time is essential for safe combined use. As a general rule in routine clinical practice, we do not lower the cooling temperature below 5 degrees, and we use an audible alert every 3 seconds to ensure cooling is not sustained on a single area. This is because prolonged exposure to excessively low temperatures can cause cryo-burns or hyperpigmentation.”

He identified ease of use when used simultaneously with EBD as an area for future improvement. Since the user must hold the EBD handpiece in one hand and operate TargetCool with the other, he noted that a design allowing for lighter and more flexible operation is needed.

Director Park stated, “If the handpiece and product design are improved to allow for easy one-handed operation—taking into full consideration scenarios where the device is used simultaneously with EBD—its clinical utility will increase significantly.”