Cryotherapy has already made quite a splash in Dubai among athletes and fitness buffs wanting to get the most out of their recovery and performance, including FitnessLink co-founder
But for those who haven’t seen or heard what the latest craze is all about, it’s not as intimidating as it sounds, and its benefits expand beyond just muscle recovery. Although the word ‘cryotherapy’ sounds a little mysterious, it’s actually a basic concept which is aligned with the good old ice bath method. Its goal is to recover your body in a quick and effective way while increasing your metabolism by enveloping you in extremely cold air. And by cold, we’re talking around -150°C.
In Dubai, cryotherapy is offered by CRYO Health, a state-of-the-art health spa with a very sleek, futuristic look. After the launch of their first branch in Jumeirah Emirates Towers, which we've frequented many times to reap muscle recovery benefits, the out-of-the-box practice recently opened a ladies-only facility at the Dubai Ladies Club.
For the full-body treatment, how it works is this: standing in the metal chamber of a cryosauna, you’re engulfed by the icy air of liquid nitrogen gas of around -150°C for three minutes, or long as you can handle. As you stand there, with just your head popping out and starting to feel painfully cold, in theory the rapid decrease of temperature of the outer layer of skin leads to the immediate release of endorphins, less sensitivity to pain, the flushing toxins and more blood being pumped to internal organs, thus aiding in muscle recovery (among other benefits). Many of the top international sports teams and athlete use the method.
But cryotherapy isn’t reserved only for athlete types. It also provides an alternative beauty treatment in the form of a cryo facial, which uses a 'wand' which directs icy-cold pressurized liquid nitrogen vapours to the face and neck. Though the dramatically-low temperature sounds intense, the sensation doesn’t have that same startling shock as you would feel with an ice pack because there is no actual contact with the skin; it feels more like exposing your face to a really cold wind! Although it does feel quite chilly, it is only a 10 minute treatment and at the end your skin will feel refreshed and dewey (we can see this being the perfect summer refresher for the ladies at the Dubai Ladies Club!).
While 10 minutes is not really enough to claim to see any of the supposed benefits, the idea is that the cold temperatures cause blood vessels to contract and then dilate, which improves the oxygen and nutrient supply to the skin’s surface, stimulates production of collagen and decreases pore size. We can definitely see how regular treatments would deliver some benefits, but we reckon the skin-reviving feeling it provides alone is worth a visit during the hot months!
With full body or localized treatments for fitness benefits, a facial, an increasing menu of services and an expanding presence in Dubai, what may have once seemed like the Dubai's latest health fad looks like it’s actually here to stay, and with good reason.
