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How to age well? These treatment methods could be the answer you are looking for

Cryotherapy, which uses freezing temperatures as a form of treatment, and Infrared Light Therapy, which relies on mild heat to optimise skincare, are gaining popularity in the wellness industry.

Published: Thu 12 Jan 2023, 10:43 PM

Updated: Fri 13 Jan 2023, 6:01 PM

  • By
  • Alisha Moopen

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Since everyone wants to live long and well, there is no shortage of unique anti-ageing remedies in the market. Since forever, women (and men) have been trying to stop the ageing process, or slow it down.

The key to this enigma does not lie in trying to halt ageing but in discovering how to age well. Ageing gracefully isn’t about trying to look like a 20-something — it’s about living your best life and having the physical and mental health to enjoy it in all stages of life.

In trying to discover how to slow down the ageing process, a number of effective therapies have been discovered, such as Cryotherapy and Infrared Light Therapy. While being poles apart in their application, both therapies have proven to have achieved the same goals.

What is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is the local or general use of freezing temperatures as a form of treatment. Many professional athletes and celebrities are reportedly turning to methods of super-cooling the body for therapeutic purposes.

Popular forms of cold therapy include cold water therapy, such as ice baths and chilled plunges, and whole-body cryotherapy, which uses air as opposed to water, to achieve potentially therapeutic results. It involves brief bouts in a small chamber (also known as a cryochamber) that’s been cooled to temperatures between minus 93 and minus 148 degrees Celsius.

Cryotherapy has a considerable impact on the skin as the procedure triggers collagen production and helps reduce signs of ageing. Collagen is the protein that gives your skin its healthy glow and plump nature. The sub-zero temperatures of cryotherapy trigger the body’s response to produce more collagen, which, in turn, makes the skin looks tighter and fresher.

The therapy also helps in injury recovery and reducing inflammation. Good circulation is important for just about everything, and the skin is no exception. Just three minutes in a cryotherapy chamber will get the blood pumping and boost the circulation. It also gives a boost to the lymphatic system by increasing metabolism and flushing out harmful toxins.

What is Infrared Light Therapy?

Light therapy uses mild heat to optimise skincare and wellness by helping your body produce more of the proteins that give your skin its bounce and firmness. Light therapy technology was once only available with dermatologists, plastic surgeons and medspas but now, anyone can give themselves a red light therapy treatment from the comfort of their homes.

In light therapy, wavelengths matter. Red lights have an ideal wavelength for treating wrinkles and fine lines as well as the colour, texture and overall complexion of the skin.

Red light therapy is a seemingly futuristic technology that uses light to help your cells perform better and more effectively by helping promote blood circulation to bring more oxygen and nutrients to your skin’s surface that create a radiant glow.

Red light stimulates cells in the dermis called fibroblasts which trigger an increase in the production of major skin proteins of the dermis called collagen and elastin. Different wavelengths/colours of light can be used for various functions. For example, blue light therapy can be effective at treating acne and preventing new breakouts. Red and infrared lights, when used in tandem, are a power couple.

Whatever therapy you choose, it is important to know your health history before you start out.



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