Pouring cold water on the idea
Yet some critics say that there is insufficient evidence that either version is capable of delivering on its inspiring claims. Indeed neither the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) nor the U.K.’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has yet approved WBC.
“Based on purported health benefits seen in many promotions for cryotherapy spas, consumers may incorrectly believe that the FDA has cleared or approved WBC devices as safe and effective to treat medical conditions. That is not the case,” Aron Yustein, M.D., a medical officer in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, is quoted as saying on the regulatory agency’s website.
In terms of physical risks, once the client has signed the regular list of medical disclaimers, the same blog on the FDA website warns frostbite, burns or eye injury could result from the extreme temperatures.
It is worth noting that the glass door to my chamber opened very easily and with a clinician watching me intently throughout I feel confident I could have ended the experiment rapidly if necessary.
Inside the chamber
At risk of stating the blindingly obvious, the chamber was extremely cold. I was slightly surprised as I had thought that the shock to my body from the instant temperature drop would have caused a less intense reaction. As it was, it felt like standing in the snow with no clothes on or throwing open a window to icy winds after a hot shower. The impression was compounded by the tiny, fluttering snowflakes (due to condensation) around me. I was very focused on the large, neon countdown clock and relieved when it expired. That said, there was certainly no pain or discomfort beyond the generic feeling of coldness.
For the rest of the day, I did feel a persistent and pleasant light tingling sensation all over my body – similar to the warm feeling of invigoration provided by the recovery period shortly after diving into cold water. My body felt a little firmer and I also felt spritely and buoyant – both physically and psychologically. I must qualify this with the fact I took the treatment on a Friday with the weekend only hours away…but nonetheless, I can understand how clients become hooked on the lingering sensation and keep returning.
I subsequently had the facial version which involves the blowing of the freezing air onto your face for around half an hour and is a very pleasant feeling. While I could see the results instantaneously – smaller pores, perkier composition, shallower creases – about half of those I polled couldn’t tell which side of my face had been treated in a control test. Three days later and I can still both see and feel marginal improvements.
