Silicone Body Implants and Cryotherapy

Many people find the concept of cryotherapy appealing. By exposing yourself to freezing temperatures in a Cryosauna, you can heal a wide range of ailments. The treatment is suitable for almost everyone, but there are a few exceptions. Many people who have had implants worry that cryotherapy will negatively impact the area of their body with the implant and avoid the treatment. This is completely unnecessary.

Why Is Cryotherapy Safe for Those with Implants?

Cryotherapy brings your skin temperature down from around 88 degrees Fahrenheit to about 47 degrees Fahrenheit. (Remember, skin temperature is different from body temperature.) As soon as you exit the Cryosauna, your skin temperature will begin to rise, reaching its normal level in about 4 minutes or more.

As you are only in the Cryosauna for a maximum of 3 minutes, the cold only penetrates a superficial layer of skin. This means your implant may become cool but is not exposed to matter altering conditions. One would have to be submerged in freezing cold water and subject to true hypothermic conditions for a life-threatening amount of time to freeze your silicone implants.

You may like to cover the area of your body containing the implant with more clothing. For example, for people with breast implants, you can opt to wear a sports bra for added protection. However, this is not required for the cryotherapy treatment.

If you recently received the implant, cryotherapy may actually be beneficial for you post-treatment. Surgery will have caused the tissue to swell and become inflamed. Cryotherapy can reduce this inflammation sooner and help speed up your recovery. Check with your surgeon to make sure that cryotherapy is right for your post-op recovery program.

How Should You Expect to Feel After Cryotherapy?

Implants can change how your body responds to temperature. With no blood supply to heat it, the area with the implant may become slightly colder than the rest of the body and can stay that way for a longer period of time. You may have noticed that your implant can feel cooler whenever the weather is cold due to the silicone. After cryotherapy, expect to feel much the same.

How cryotherapy feels for you will also depend on where the implant is located in your body. If the implant is under a muscle, it will have more protection from the cold and you will feel less chilled when you leave the Cryosauna. In the case of breast implants, it will depend if the implant is under or over the pectoral muscle.

Finally, the extent you feel cold after treatment will depend on how long you stay in the Cryosauna. Three minutes is the maximum length of WBC treatment, but many people stay for less time, especially when it is the first time they try cryotherapy.

There is no danger of receiving cryotherapy if you have silicone implants, but it is important to remember that the treatment affects everyone differently. Should you feel exceedingly cold after the treatment, you may like to shorten your time in the Cryosauna next time. You can also protect the area of your implant by adding yet more layers of clothing or putting a towel over your clothes.