A new technique that literally freezes facial nerves in order to improve the appearance of facial wrinkles may soon provide a non-chemical alternative to Botox and Dysport.

Researchers say that the technique has proven successful in early clinical trials, and is currently awaiting FDA approval for use on the general market.

Botox and Dysport, the two major brands of injectable Botulinum toxin type A, temporarily paralyze certain facial muscles. This popular treatment reduces wrinkles by allowing other muscles to pull without resistance, so that the skin is drawn back. This new freezing technique isn’t the only promising alternative to Botox injections (there’s a topical application of the botulinum toxin currently being tested), but it is the first non-toxic alternative.

The technique works by using small needles to deliver cold temperatures to nerves running through the forehead. The cold freezes the nerve. Although the temperature quickly returns to normal, the nerve will remain “frozen” for some time.

Study co-author Dr. Francis Palmer says that all 31 recipients of the technique experienced fewer wrinkles after two to eight injections. The most common side effects were temporary headaches and skin redness. The effect lasts for roughly three to four months.

Unlike Botox, the results of this experimental procedure can be seen immediately, whereas the effects of Botox typically require several days to appear.

The results of the study have not yet been formally reviewed by the medical community, as the paper was presented at a conference rather than published in a peer-reviewed journal. Nevertheless, if the claims in the study are accurate, and unanticipated side effects can be ruled out by continued testing and development, people may have yet another “wrinkle blocker” to to choose from in the future.