Rating: ★★★☆☆

Address: 10/F, Lee Theatre, 99 Percival Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Telephone: 2446 6163

Email: info@polaris-wellness.com

www.polaris-wellness.com

I have heard about cryotherapy a while ago from overseas websites and newspapers, and am very glad to know that Hong Kong now has its first and only cryotherapy centre, Polaris! For those of you who haven’t heard, cryotherapy is a form of treatment that involves exposing the skin to cool dry nitrogen gas reaching sub-zero temperatures to trigger a natural recovery response from the body. Hollywood stars including Jessica Alba and Daniel Craig, and athletes including Cristiano Ronaldo, have used cryotherapy as part of their health and wellness routine.

Cryotherapy was developed by an American physician J. Kuehne. At Polaris, the cryotherapy can be done on your body and as a facial. I haven’t looked extensively into the science behind this, but understand that exposing your body or face to cold nitrogen gas (which can go as low as -130°C) can trigger your body’s natural responses – your blood vessels will tighten, your blood cells will be enriched with oxygen and toxins will be flushed out.

This machine below is used for the 3-min cryo sauna, which I did not try! Apparently you will feel cold, but not unbearingly so. It is very popular amongst athletes, as it can sometimes help boost energy levels, improve performance, reduce inflammation, decrease fatigue and accelerate the body’s recovery. It is also immensely popular amongst ladies as it can help tighten and firm skin, reduce cellulite and can burn up to 800kcal in a 3-min session! The trial price starts from $900 for 2 sessions.

Instead of the cryo sauna, I am here to try out the 15-minute cryo facial. I am told that the cold air can help stimulate collagen production in the skin, giving you more elastic, tighter and firmer skin, and can reduce puffiness particularly around the eyes – wow I do need this!

The cold nitrogen gas comes out of this tube, which I am holding. There is no need to remove my make up the treatment, which is very convenient. Even though the low temperature sounds intimidating, actually the air doesn’t feel any colder than cold wind blowing against my face when I go skiing! It is absolutely manageable!

The 15-minute session passes in the blink of an eye, as I am busy chatting away with my friendly therapist. The trial price for the facial is $350.

The reduction of puffiness is instantly noticeable after my treatment. I cannot tell after one session whether my skin is any tighter or firmer, but I must say that the cold air is absolutely refreshing!