
CRYOTHERAPY FAQ
Cryotherapy is a quick, noninvasive process that exposes your body, or parts of your body, to extreme cold of up to -280°F through the use of gasified air from liquid nitrogen. Cryo Saunas are used for Whole Body Cryo and are aimed at reducing your overall skin temperature to between 30°F and 50°F, while maintaining a healthy core temperature. This sudden drop in temperature triggers the brain to go into “fight or flight” mode sending blood flow from your hands and feet back to your vital organs which may be why you feel pins and needles sensation in your extremities. When you exit the chamber and begin to warm up, your blood is pumped vigorously back throughout the body, creating a flushing effect.
This process accelerates the body’s natural healing ability by increasing the oxygen and nutrient supply into the bloodstream, thus reducing inflammation, relieving minor aches and pain, and alleviate sore muscles. Cryo can also trigger the autonomic nervous system sympathetic and parasympathetic to release adrenaline and endorphins, your body’s “feel good” hormones, as well as improve sleep, reduce stress, and increase metabolism.
For Whole Body Cryo, the first time Cryo is usually 60 to 90 seconds to help you get acclimated with the cold. After that, we will work with you to determine the duration from 2 to 3 minutes for each session. You may end the session at any time. For Localized and Facial Cryo, each session lasts up to 10 minutes.
Whole body cryotherapy was originally developed in Japan for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It has been researched and refined in Europe over the past two decades. Sports, Health and Spa professionals in U.S. have discovered then benefits of whole body cryotherapy.
No, nitrogen is a friendly, non-toxic gas. Nitrogen composes 78% of the air that we breathe. The other components are 16% Oxygen, 1% Hydrogen and 5% other gases. Nitrogen is as common and safe as Oxygen.
Clients typically wear their underwear inside the chamber. We will provide a robe for you to wear, which will be removed once you enter the chamber and the door is closed. We will also provide gloves and foot protection that must be worn inside the chamber. Only the clients, head, neck and hands will be visible to the Whole Body Cryotherapy technician, and the procedure will be done in a private room
No, you do not. This is a dry procedure that will not wet the skin.
No. The immediate cold impact of the cryo session will stimulate the immune system and can actually help decrease the severity and frequency of future colds.
Depends on the objective of the treatment. For example, if the client has acne, we recommend performing a cryo facial 3 or 4 times a week. If a client is using it for beautification, then once or twice a week is ideal.
Yes, it is safe to do either. If you choose to exercise before whole body cryotherapy you will experience increased energy and greater recovery due to the reduction in inflammation. If you exercise after the cryotherapy you will experience a higher pain tolerance and more energy.
Cryotherapy involves hyper-cooled air flowing over the skin surface so the process never freezes skin tissues, muscles or organs. The result is only the feeling of being cold. The air is completely dry and safe with the protective wear.
Whole Body Cryotherapy is very well tolerated and has minimal risks: Fluctuations in blood pressure during the procedure by up to 10 points systolic (this effect reverses after the end of the procedure, as peripheral circulation returns to normal), allergic reaction to extreme cold (rare), and activation of some viral conditions (cold sores) etc. due to stimulation of the immune system. Protective clothing (socks, gloves, undergarments) must be dry in order to avoid frostbite.
The following conditions are contraindications for WBC: Pregnancy, severe hypertension (BP > 180/100), hypothyroidism, acute or recent myocardial infarction (heart attack: need to be cleared for exercise), narrowing of valves, crescent-shaped aorta and mitral valve, unstable angina pectoris, arrhythmia, symptomatic cardiovascular disease, cardiac pacemaker, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, venous thrombosis, acute or recent cerebrovascular accident (stroke: must be cleared for exercise), uncontrolled seizures, Raynaud’s syndrome, fever, tumor disease, symptomatic lung disorders, bleeding disorders, severe anemia, infection, cold allergy, acute kidney and urinary tract diseases, incontinence.
During each session the body releases endorphins, which are your “feel good” hormones. The effects from each session last at least 6–8 hours. As with any new regimen, consistency is key and increased results will be noted with regular use. Many report a higher pain tolerance when exposure is pre-workout, and decreased inflammation is noted with a post- workout exposure.