I’m Hot and Cold: The Benefits of Extreme Temperature Therapies + A Review of the Glacial Facial at the Fairmont Austin
Dive into the many benefits of hot and cold therapies and read my review of the Fairmont Spa Austin and its otherworldly Glacial Revive Facial
Above: Rooftop pool open year-round at the Fairmont Spa Austin; Below: the lounge area at the Fairmont Austin Spa; sauna bath; products used; my gleaming iced-up skin after the cryofacial/Glacial Freeze Facial; fancy ice facial machines; amazing peanut butter coconut balls.
In the neverending quest for peak wellness, many rely on the proven benefits of heat therapy and cold therapy, or cryotherapy, to “level up” their health, performance, and/or recovery. I personally am no stranger to subjecting myself to extremes if it means I might feel or look better, let’s be honest. From saunas to hot yoga, there truly is nothing like sweating out a second person when it’s freezing outside, especially if you are a native Texan or Floridian with an established allergy to the cold. I really love a good heated yoga or fitness class to brighten my frozen soul and sweat is so amazing for detoxing. And if it means my bones won’t break off after I torture them or my skin will look better, just dump obscene amounts of ice on me and I promise we can still be friends. But what exactly is going on in these extreme hot and cold therapy scenarios? What does extreme heat or cold do to the mind and body? And can ice in the face really turn you into Joan Rivers?
Let’s dive in.
It’s Getting Hot in Here: The Benefits of Heat Therapy for the Body and Mind
From hot barre to hot yoga to regular saunas to infrared saunas to heated ancient bath spas, the chance to set yourself on fire in the name of wellness is abundant. Especially in dark and cold winters, there really is nothing quite like heat therapy, which has been shown to reduce whole body insulin resistance, improve cardiovascular function, ease muscle pain, reduce muscle stiffness, promote circulation to optimize healing and recovery, and more. This is especially beneficial to those with certain medical conditions and to endurance athletes. While using heat to improve physical and mental health is not a new concept, it has received renewed attention in recent years as a growing number of scientific studies have proven the robust and widespread positive effects of heat therapy on cardiovascular and hormonal health. I personally love hot yoga, hot barre, saunas, and recently experienced hot baths, which I tried at AIRE Ancient Baths in Tribeca (that review is forthcoming).
I got hooked on hot yoga almost 15 years ago during brutal New England winters, and for good reason: it noticeably helped my mood and it improved flexibility, strength, and circulation. I recently rediscovered the many benefits of hot yoga after a bit of a break and highly recommend this activity as one component of a holistic fitness routine. And, a late 2023 Harvard study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that hot yoga might help reduce moderate-to-severe depression, according to randomized controlled trial results. Harvard Medical School researchers randomly assigned 65 adults with depression (ages 18 to 60, some on antidepressants) to one of two groups. People in the first group were told to attend at least two 90-minute hot yoga sessions (in local hot yoga studios) per week, for eight weeks. People in the other group were placed on a waiting list for eight weeks. Compared with people on the waiting list, people in the yoga group had significantly reduced depression symptoms by the end of the study, even if they averaged only one yoga class per week. All the more reason to consider hot yoga as a part of your wellness routine in collaboration with your doctor or other medical professionals.
Ice Me Up, Coach: the Benefits of Cold Therapy
Ask anyone who likes to jump in freezing water on the regular for funsies, there’s just nothing like that electric cold shock to the system. Cold therapy has been shown to reduce muscle soreness, decrease inflammation, improve circulation, boost the immune system, improve moods, and increase metabolism; I can personally attest to the benefits of ice therapy and ice baths for the body and sore muscles after very long runs of more than 90 minutes to two hours. But I had yet to try the benefits of cold therapy on my skin, until a recent trip to the Fairmont Austin Spa where I experienced the Glacial Freeze Facial with aesthetician/magician Erica Clark.
I was really excited to explore the numerous promised wonders of the glacial/ice/cryofacial: The benefits of a cryofacial are said to include increased collagen production, decreased wrinkles, and reduced inflammation, along with firmer, smoother, and brighter skin. And the Neveskin Facial-powered Glacial Freeze Facial at the Fairmont felt like some frozen luxury ice aliens came down and transported me to another planet that I did not wish to return from anytime soon. Olaf and his friends were ice skating my face into glorious ice sculpture-esque luminosity and I did not want this frozen disco face fiesta to end. Little glacial ice orbs from a fancy skin machine from the future serenaded my skin, which looked brighter and generally more amazing after (see photo above). This is absolutely not your mom’s facial and I highly recommend this facial 100%.
A cryotherapy or glacial facial is an amazing Botox alternative and a less invasive anti-aging face treatment that absolutely has benefits and can replace needles as part of a consistent skincare and biohacking wellness lifestyle routine. I will be returning to get this glacial facial at the Fairmont Austin as fast as I can! The Fairmont Austin is consistently named one of the best spas in Austin, and that’s because it is. I enjoyed the amenities of the Fairmont Spa, which include sauna, steam room, rooftop pool open year round, and more. Also, the nail salon there is dreamy and relaxing and the spa is quiet despite all of the action in Downtown Austin. And I like the spa’s use of clean beauty products. Also, the Fairmont Austin’s peanut butter coconut balls (shown above) in the lounge area are INSANE. I will go to this spa again for the peanut butter coconut balls alone, I’m just saying.
You can’t go wrong here, this is a must-do spa in Austin, so treat yourself to a little holiday gift and have fun freezing your face off!
About Kaci
Kaci is a health and wellness writer, marketing consultant, and fitness enthusiast based in Austin, Texas, who enjoys wearing shiny pants and applying face oils.
The information contained in this article is not meant to substitute actual medical advice. Please consult your medical doctor for personalized medical advice.