Localized Cryotherapy.

A small insulated unit holds the cold reservoir, a flexible hose connects to the wand, and the operator directs the airflow onto the target area while keeping the nozzle six to twelve inches from the skin and in constant motion. Stationary application is the single most common cause of skin injury in this format — operator training is almost entirely about maintaining movement and distance.

The equipment is dramatically cheaper than whole-body ($4K to $12K for a good wand system versus $35K+ for a chamber), the footprint is tiny (one treatment table in a private room), and the application is targeted enough that clients with a specific complaint find it more intuitive than whole-body. Studios often use localized as a lower-commitment entry product for new clients who aren't ready for a chamber session.

Most appropriate for targeted soft-tissue discomfort, post-workout recovery of a specific muscle group, minor sprains after the initial acute phase has passed, and cosmetic face/neck work. Least appropriate for any condition a client has not had evaluated by a physician — localized cryo is symptom-level wellness, not a diagnostic or treatment modality, and pushing it toward the latter is where studios get into trouble with regulators.

Five to fifteen minutes per area, depending on the size of the area and what the client is using it for. A cryo facial is typically ten to twelve minutes; a knee or shoulder session is five to eight minutes; a full back is the longest at twelve to fifteen. Multi-area sessions are additive and bundled at a modest discount.

$35 to $80 per area in most US cities, £25 to £55 in the UK, €30 to €65 in Europe. Add-on pricing to a whole-body package is common — 'add a localized session for $20' — which is the most common upsell in the category. Bundled multi-area sessions (e.g. knees + lower back + shoulders) run $70 to $140.

How is the wand operator trained? What is your protocol for keeping the nozzle in motion? Do you have written distance and duration limits per body area? Have you ever had a client report skin changes after a session, and how do you handle it? A studio that treats the wand as a medical-adjacent tool will have crisp answers; a studio that treats it as a toy will not.