Cryotherapy craze comes to Manchester

Cryotherapy is this season’s craze in the health and beauty world. It’s the latest skin and muscle therapy treatment which uses liquid nitrogen at freezing temperature to stimulate and rejuvenate the body. Jemima Forbes went to Spinningfields to find out more…

Cryotherapy may sound like something out of a sci-fi film but the treatment has proven results and has been the subject of many medical research studies.

“the treatment
has proven results
and has been the
subject of many
medical research
studies…’

Originally associated with speeding up athletes’ recovery time after injury, the treatment is now widely used for a number of things including instant weight loss, cellulite reduction, body shaping and tackling skin conditions and other health problems.

Originally developed in Japan in 1978 but with links going back to Ancient Greece, cryotherapy isolates specific areas of the body in order to stimulate the lymphatic system and warm the skin. Whilst in the past, cryotherapy was only available through intense and often painful cryo-tanks or saunas, this latest technology allows specific areas to be targeted with minimal discomfort.

Cryotherapy UK made its way to Manchester last month – the fifth centre in the UK to offer the treatment. The cryotherapy facials have proven to be the most popular treatment so far in Manchester so I thought I’d go along and see what all of the fuss was about.

A cryo facelift or facial can tackle a number of beauty issues including ageing skin, puffiness around the eyes, redness and irritation, and skin conditions such as acne and eczema. The hour long appointments take place in the Cryotherapy treatment room at the Nicky Clarke Salon in Spinningfields and are conducted by professional cryotherapist, Kelly Holmes. No, not that Kelly Holmes.

Upon my arrival I was greeted by the lovely Kelly and escorted to the treatment room to prepare. I lay back, relaxed and kept warm under some soft towels as my skin was cleansed, toned, exfoliated and massaged in preparation for the main treatment.

The cryo-facial itself consists of freezing cold liquid nitrogen being gently blown through a funnel onto the face in massaging motions. As scary as that my sound, the temperature is slowly reduced so as to not shock the skin and allow you to get used to the final -160 degree temperature. The treatment is used on each side of the face for approximately six minutes and areas will be specifically targeted depending on your individual needs. The final result is a relaxing and pleasant experience that causes no discomfort and leaves you feeling relaxed.

Despite being young myself, I was able to see visible differences in the health of my skin and was left glowing after each session. I also left the salon feeling elated and positive, another direct result of the treatment that stimulates the release of mood-enhancing endorphins.

A treatment that can improve your skin or help you lose weight AND make you happy? What’s not to love? A truly relaxing treatment with visual rewards, I would definitely recommend cryotherapy to anyone wanting to steer clear of cosmetic surgery, medication or speciality creams and achieve more natural and healthy results. For optimum results, Kelly recommends that customers have 6-10 weekly treatments and combine this with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Unfortunately, the treatment is not suitable for everyone so please check out the website’s FAQ for a run down on who can benefit as well as more information about the different treatments and how to book an appointment.

www.cryotherapyuk.com