Polaris: The City’s First Cryotherapy Centre is Here!

Missus Freeze

Since the Olympic Games Rio 2016, I’ve heard so much about cryotherapy as it’s been all over the internet as one of the most popular and advanced technology athletes use to improve their performance. Cryotherapy is also no stranger on the beauty scene as the ‘face-freezing’ treatment brings benefits to the skin such as increased collagen production (I heard Jessica Alba is a fan!). As a gym enthusiast and someone who’s always on the lookout for effective facial treatments, I had to try this new concept!

Read more: Top Three New Wellness Wonders in Hong Kong

As the exclusive partner in Asia Pacific of Impact Cryotherapy machines, POLARIS pride themselves on their world-leading machines and technology to provide non-invasive aesthetic and anti-ageing treatments. So what’s the idea behind Cryotherapy? When the body is exposed to very cold temperatures between -90°C to -140°C, it stimulates blood circulation and increasing oxygen and nutrient supply to parts of the body that need it. With its anti-inflammatory effect you can expect muscle recovery from fitness sessions and a metabolism boost means weight loss (effortless calorie burning, hooray!).

POLARIS offers both the whole body cryotherapy (3 minutes) and cryo facial (10.5 minutes). These treatments are perfect for busy city goers like myself to get a quick, effective fix for the skin and body. So let’s take a look at the cryo facial first…

Before I went in for the cryo facial treatment, I was told that I didn’t have to remove my makeup. I couldn’t believe it! I’ve never had a facial treatment with my makeup on so I was intrigued to see how that would work.

The cryotherapist told me that my face will drop to a temperature around – 110°C (that’s the coldest I’ve ever been) and then there came a stream of cryogenically cool dry nitrogen gas blasted over my face to cool the skin. My face felt OK at first but as the temperature went down it felt a little strange (especially around my forehead) but it was more of an alien feeling rather than painful.

The jet of air is constantly moving around by the cryotherapist so no area is focused on for too long. The result? My face felt frozen, tightened, and I’m not gonna lie…  my skin did have a rosy glow for the rest of the day! Of course it takes more than one treatment to see any lasting effects but my complexion was already feeling smoother and brighter. For those who are curious about its anti-ageing effect: the procedures encourage cell rejuvenation and boost collagen levels, which are the key to reduce wrinkles and maintain a youthful skin. Yes, please!

Moving on to the whole body cryotherapy. I do get muscle fatigues from my workout routine sometimes and sitting in the office all day is not helping. My solution? I go for a full Thai massage to relieve my muscle pain but it takes at least 1.5 hours for the masseuse to fix my soreness. It’s effective, but time consuming.

The whole body cryotherapy, believe it or not, took only 3 minutes (disclaimer: almost triple the price of course – but time is money). This treatment is more for relieving stress, increasing energy levels and losing weight.

Before I went in for the whole body cryotherapy, I had to take off all my clothes (everything!) and put on a bathrobe, a pair of gloves and a soft pair of shoes that reminded me of scuba diving boots. I had no idea what to expect. I mean I knew my body would be freezing but now I can appreciate the phrase “chill to the bone” as that was how I truly felt!

I stepped into the cryotherapy chamber, de-robed, took a deep breath, and the cryotherapist closed the door. Nitrogen gas started hugging my body and swirling out near my face. I was shivering! I was encouraged to ‘dance’ a little and the cryotherapist tried to talk with me to keep me distracted from the cold. It was around -70°C. To be honest I didn’t expect it to be THAT cold and it was the longest three minutes ever (I’m confident to visit the South Pole now).

I came out feeling like I had survived something extreme. Very quickly, a warmth started to spread throughout my body. My body felt numb but at same time relaxed. This treatment is unlike anything I’ve experienced before and it was quite satisfying given that I might have lost some calories (around 400 to be exact!) during the process. Overall, if you are keen to give your body a quick treat with the latest beauty and wellness technique, then I would definitely recommend giving cryotherapy a try!

Polaris is offering an exclusive for all Sassy Mama readers… If you purchase one full body cryotherapy session, you get another one for free! Simply mention “Sassy” and enjoy the buy one get one free deal! Offer ends on Saturday, 31 December, 2016.

POLARIS, Shop B, 10/F., Lee Theatre Plaza, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong